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Islamic World News ( 23 Jul 2025, NewAgeIslam.Com)

Mutton Rogan Josh, That Rich, Aromatic Kashmiri Delight Spices Up Bihar Politics During Shravan

New Age Islam News Bureau

23 July 2025

· Mutton Rogan Josh, That Rich, Aromatic Kashmiri Delight Spices Up Bihar Politics During Shravan

· ‘Give Us Back Last 20 Years’: Son Of Mumbai Blasts Accused, Who Died In Jail 4 Years Before Acquittal

· Bengaluru Prison Psychiatrist Bought Phones For Rs 8,000, Sold Them For Rs 25,000 to A Lashkar-e-Taiba Linked Terror Convict: NIA

· 3 Saudi Cities, Asir, Qatif and Riyadh To Host Film Criticism Forum

· Bradford'sDiversity And Inclusion Champion Usman Ali knighted by King Charles at Windsor Castle

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India

· SC To Hear Mumbai Blast Relief Tomorrow After HC Acquits 12 Convicts

· 11/7 Train Blasts Case: Judicial Lens Focused On ATS Methods & Conclusions In Other Cases Too

· Acquitted In 11/7 Mumbai Train Blasts, Duo Recalls Prison Trauma And Lost Joys

· 11/7 Case: HC Discarded Confessions On Technicalities, Maha Tells SC

· 'I Married Ishita, But She Was Afreen': UP Man Alleges Forced Conversion Bid By Chhangur Baba;

· Assam Constable’s Son Among Nine Detained In Gurugram On Suspicion Of Being ‘Illegal Bangladeshis’

· ‘Serial Borrower From The IMF’: India Mocks Pakistan At UN

· ‘We’re Tightening The Noose’: 3 Months Since Pahalgam, How Army Is Working To Corner Terrorists

· Donald Trump Repeats ‘Stopped India-Pakistan War’ And ‘Five Jets Down’ Claims, Congress Keeps Count, Cites ‘Silver Jubilee’

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Arab World

· Young Saudis Will Power The Kingdom’s Green Future, Says Expert

· Saudi Arabia digitizes its documentary heritage to enrich public knowledge

· Saudi Cabinet backs Syria reconstruction efforts, urges global action to end Gaza war and aid blockade

· Global experts to address space debris in Riyadh

· Saudi interior minister holds meeting with employees on scholarship in London

· The vintage trucks that once connected Saudi Arabia’s villages and cities

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Europe

· UK FM ‘Sickened’ By Israel’s Conduct In Gaza

· Man fined after £400 criminal damage to Worcester Mosque

· MP joins hundreds outside South Lakes Islamic Centre

· Inverclyde MP Martin McCluskey backs Muslim community

· Two Israelis questioned after attending Belgium's Tomorrow land festival

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Southeast Asia

· Kelantan Intensifies Efforts To Tackle Youth Social Issues With Religious Programmes

· Islamic Religious Department probes e-Hati Marriage Course Over ‘Obscene Elements’,

· Employers must observe extra Malaysia Day holiday, says HR minister

· Ministers hail PM’s special announcement, say it’s all about the ‘rakyat’

· Study: Negative online messaging driving mental health crisis for Malaysia’s LGBT+

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Africa

· DSS, Army Rescue US-based Catholic Priest Kidnapped By Boko Haram Terrorists

· Russia and Mozambique reaffirm defence cooperation after foreign ministers' meeting

· Arab League holds emergency meeting to discuss Gaza humanitarian crisis

· Senate Approves Bill To Establish Oil And Gas Hospital

· Senate To Hold Special Session For Late President Buhari Wednesday

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Mideast

· UN Urges Peaceful Settlement Of Disputes As UN Chief Points To ‘The Horror Show In Gaza’

· Iran: 27 inmates are still at large following Israeli airstrike

· How Heritage Defenders Are Rescuing Gaza’s Artifacts, Preserving Cultural Identity

· Clearing Gaza war rubble could release 90K tonnes of greenhouse gases: study

· EU tells Israel to stop killing Gazans at aid points

· Israeli Far Right Discusses Gaza ‘Riviera’ Plans

· No aid supplies left and staff are starving in Gaza, says Norwegian Refugee Council

· Jordan’s king, Canada’s PM discuss Syria, Gaza and aid

· Syria identifies 298 suspects in Alawite heartland killings

· UN says Israeli military killed over 1,000 seeking Gaza aid since late May

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South Asia

· Afghan Journalists Face Dire Conditions in Iran and Pakistan, Warns Group

· UN Allocates $10 Million to Aid Vulnerable Afghan Returnees from Iran

· Afghanistan, Yemen Discuss Strengthening Cultural Cooperation

· Team of doctors from Singapore to assess burn victims: CMH commandant

· Bamyan Inaugurates Refugee Accommodation Centre

· Foreign Minister Discusses Unity with MWL Top Official

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North America

· US Targets Houthis With Fresh Sanctions

· US Envoy Urges Syria’s Sharaa To Revise Policy Or Risk Fragmentation

· CAIR-CA to Hold 19th Annual Muslim Youth Leadership Program in Sacramento

· Obama blasts 'bizarre' Trump claim of 2016 election 'treason'

· Hunter Biden lashes out at George Clooney over father's 2024 election exit

· Trump claims Obama ‘guilty of treason’

Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau

URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/aromatic-kashmiri-delight-bihar-politics-shravan/d/136268

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Mutton Rogan Josh, That Rich, Aromatic Kashmiri Delight Spices Up Bihar Politics During Shravan

Jul 23, 2025

PATNA: Holy Shravan month is on, and temples are abuzz with Shiva devotees fasting. Vegetarianism is in vogue. But in poll-bound Bihar, guess what's stealing the spotlight? Mutton curries!

Mutton Rogan Josh — that rich, aromatic Kashmiri delight made a surprise appearance in the central hall of the state assembly on Monday, the second Somwari. The occasion? First day of the monsoon session before the state goes to polls.

The serving was enough to stir a political potboiler.

Leader of opposition Tejashwi Prasad Yadav wasted no time. He accused the NDA leader of adopting a "double standard" over meat consumption.

"BJP MLAs relished mutton on Shravan Somwari (Monday). We have no objection to anyone's food choice, but the PM should not be ‘selective' in his attacks. While he finds it pleasing that his party leaders eat mutton during Shravan, he doesn't hesitate to attack opposition leaders even though they avoid non-vegetarian foods," Tejashwi posted on social media.He also uploaded a video of the stall with "Mutton Rogan Josh" to highlight his point. The video has gone viral on social media.

The BJP reacted by saying that Tejashwi, being the leader of the opposition, should focus on the election looming large rather than watching who is eating what. "Maybe the caterer also arranged for the mutton dish along with vegetarian food, but did Tejashwi only watch who ate the mutton?" state BJP spokesperson Manoj Sharma said on Tuesday.

Mocking Tejashwi, Sharma said whether the leader of opposition should scan the CCTV images to find out who consumed what or focus on Bihar's development.

This isn't the first time mutton has made an entry in Shravan when majority Hindus turn vegetarian.

Last week, Union minister Rajiv Ranjan alias Lalan Singh triggered a similar row when he hosted a mutton party for his supporters in Lakhisarai, which is a part of his Munger Lok Sabha constituency. In a video that went viral, Lalan is heard saying that he arranged both "vegetarian and non-vegetarian" foods. Tejashwi again took a dig at Singh for hosting a mutton party during Shravan.

Earlier this month, Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor arranged "biryani" for all those who came to hear his speech in Kishanganj district. TV footage released later showed people crowding the food stalls and scrambling to get the food packets. But the party claims it was "vegetarian biryani" and not mutton.

Mutton had been the menu for controversy earlier also when RJD chief Lalu Prasad cooked a special mutton dish for Congress MP Rahul Gandhi at his daughter's residence in Delhi during Shrawan in 2023. The video of Lalu cooking mutton in a desi style and stirring in a pot went viral at that time, drawing sharp reactions from the NDA.

Later, Tejashwi and his ally, MuheshSahani, drew bitter criticisms from the NDA leader after both were caught on camera relishing fish during a chopper ride as part of the poll campaign during the LS elections. The NDA leaders targeted the duo, describing their acts as an "insult to sanatan" for relishing during "Navaratra". Later, Tejashwi clarified that they had eaten the non-vegetarian dish before the start of Navarata.

Source: indiatimes.com

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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/patna/bihars-election-platter-turns-spicy-with-mutton-parties-in-shravan/articleshow/122843613.cms

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‘Give Us Back Last 20 Years’: Son Of Mumbai Blasts Accused, Who Died In Jail 4 Years Before Acquittal

by Himanshu Harsh

July 23, 2025

In this July 11, 2006 file photo, policemen investigate near a train coach destroyed by a bomb blast at Matunga railway station in Mumbai. (PTI Photo)

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Abdullah Ansari was six years old when his father, Kamal Ahmed Mohammad Vakil Ansari, was arrested from Basopatti in Bihar’s Madhubani district after being accused of involvement in the Mumbai train blasts of July 11, 2006, in which 189 people were killed.

“I don’t remember much… At that age, children just about know how to walk properly,” he told The Indian Express on Tuesday.

On Monday, nearly two decades after his father’s arrest, the Bombay High Court acquitted all 12 men convicted in the case. This included a posthumous acquittal for Kamal Ansari, who died in jail in 2021 at the age of 50.

“The only thing I want to say is, give us back the last 20 years… Only we know what we went through during these years,” said Abdullah, who last met his father in 2017.

He said the High Court judgment came too late. “What was meant to be wrapped up by the MCOCA (Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act) court in two-four years dragged on for much longer, and then it took another decade in the High Court. My father died in jail.”

According to official records, Kamal Ansari died of Covid at Nagpur Central Jail in 2021, during the height of the pandemic.

“What happened was wrong, not just to my father but also to the others whose lives were destroyed by this process. Can anyone give back those 20 years to us, or to the 11 other families that also suffered?” Abdullah said.

In July 2006, 189 people were killed and 824 injured in a series of blasts that ripped through seven Mumbai local train coaches.

Kamal Ansari had been accused of receiving arms training in Pakistan, ferrying Pakistani terrorists across the Indo-Nepal border, and helping plant explosives that detonated at Matunga station in Mumbai. However, his son said Kamal was a worker trying to make ends meet by doing odd jobs in Madhubani and nearby areas.

In 2015, a special MCOCA court sentenced Kamal Ansari and four others to death on charges of organised crime, criminal conspiracy, spreading terror and murder, under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Explosives Substances Act, 1908, MCOCA, and Railways Act, 1989.

After his father’s arrest, Abdullah said that “his mother and three brothers endured severe financial hardship”. The eldest among the siblings, Abdullah now works in a private company in Delhi, as does his brother Obedullah. Another brother, Abdul, works in Darbhanga, while the youngest, Sufian, is still studying.

Source: indianexpress.com

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https://indianexpress.com/article/india/give-us-back-years-son-mumbai-blasts-accused-acquittal-10144244/

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Bengaluru Prison Psychiatrist Bought Phones For Rs 8,000, Sold Them For Rs 25,000 to A Lashkar-e-Taiba Linked Terror Convict: NIA

July 22, 2025

Thadiyantavide Naseer has been convicted in a terrorism case in Kerala and is currently under trial for the 2008 Bengaluru serial blasts case and the prison radicalisation case. (Source: Express Photo)

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An investigation by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) into the usage of mobile phones by a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT)-linked terror convict housed in the Bengaluru Central Prison has revealed that a prison psychiatrist was procuring mobile phones from a local mobile store for prices ranging from Rs 8,000 to Rs 10,000 and selling it to prisoners for Rs 25,000.

The NIA, which is investigating a prison radicalisation case, where the LeT-linked convict Thadiyantavide Naseer, 47, is accused of radicalising youths in the prison, arrested prison psychiatrist Dr S Nagaraj on July 8 for allegedly supplying mobile phones to Naseer and other prisoners at the Bengaluru Central prison. Naseer has been convicted in a terrorism case in Kerala and is currently under trial for the 2008 Bengaluru serial blasts case and the prison radicalisation case.

The NIA has now sought to question some prisoners in the Bengaluru central jail who were alleged recipients of mobile phones sold by the prison psychiatrist through prison intermediaries. A special court for terrorism cases has allowed the NIA to question a murder convict from Karnataka who is housed in the Bengaluru Central Prison as part of further investigations.

The NIA probe has found that the prison psychiatrist lived a lavish life with frequent visits to holiday resorts around the country and that one of his two mistresses allegedly helped him in procuring and supplying phones to prisoners in the Bengaluru Central Prison.

The NIA has found during its investigations that Dr Nagaraj purchased mobile phones from a mobile store near his house and “illegally took/smuggled them into the prison and further handed over the said mobile phones to the convicted prisoners”.

The prison psychiatrist took Rs 25,000 per mobile from the prisoners while he purchased the mobile phones at prices ranging from Rs 8,000 to Rs 10,000, the NIA said in court filings. The NIA is investigating the source of funds for convicted prisoners like T Naseer, who are lodged in the high security barrack of the prison, to buy cell phones. Naseer is alleged to have been sold phones at a higher cost by the psychiatrist than other prisoners.

“These mobile phones are purchased under the pseudo name of Raghu. He has also disclosed that the mobile phone used by accused No.1 T Naseer was also purchased by him from Priya mobile in the pseudo name of Raghu,” the NIA court has noted. The psychiatrist allegedly received cash from the convicted prisoners for smuggling phones into the prison.

The special court has directed prison authorities to allow NIA officials to conduct further investigations in the prison on the phone supplies and usage by T Naseer and others.

Prison radicalisation case

The LeT-linked Naseer, who has been in the Bengaluru prison since 2009, was accused in 2023 of being a key player in a prison radicalisation initiative where he allegedly radicalised eight undertrial youths lodged in the prison from 2017 to 2023 to take up jihad when they are released from prison. Seven youths are arrested and one is still missing.

Seven of the eight prisoners arrested in the case, including Naseer, moved an application in the special court on July 7 to plead guilty in the prison radicalisation, terror conspiracy case, which the NIA is currently investigating.

On July 8, the NIA arrested three more people in the case: Dr Nagaraj, a Central Armed Reserve policeman; Chan Bhasha; and Anees Fathima, the mother of Junaid Ahmed, a missing accused in the radicalisation case, for allegedly aiding the prison activities of Naseer.

Apart from Naseer, the other arrested accused in the prison case are Syed Suhail, 24; Mohammed Umar, 30; Zahid Tabrez, 27; Syed Mudassir Pasha, 29; Mohammed Faisal, 29; Salman Khan, 29; and Vikram Kumar alias Chota Usman, 25.

Among the three arrested on July 8, Anees Fathima is accused of facilitating financial transactions between various accused persons in the conspiracy case, the policeman Pasha is accused of providing police escort details of T Naseer to other accused persons on payment of bribes, and the psychiatrist Dr Nagaraj is accused of smuggling phones into the prison.

The investigation of the prison terror conspiracy case was taken over by the NIA in October 2023 after the Bengaluru police conducted the early investigations. The probe agencies have alleged that the accused procured arms, ammunition and digital devices for terrorist activities after they were radicalised in prison by Naseer.

The initial Bengaluru police probe indicated that Naseer, who had been in prison for over 13 years, radicalised a few members of a group of 20 youths who were lodged in the Bengaluru central prison between 2017 and 2019 for the murder of a businessman in Bengaluru in October 2017.

The police alleged that Naseer inspired Junaid Ahmed, 29, one of the 20 youths who were arrested in 2017, in the case of the murder of the businessman, to take up the cause of his religion and facilitated the creation of a module. Junaid Ahmed left the country for Dubai around 2021 and has not been traced yet.

Naseer allegedly radicalised Junaid’s parents, Anees Fathima and Abdul Basheer, when they were lodged in the Bengaluru prison over a 2017 sandalwood theft case.

“Naseer had orchestrated the radicalisation and subsequent criminal activities, including plans to facilitate his own escape enroute to the court from the prison and a conspiracy to further the operations of the proscribed terrorist organisation LeT,” the NIA said last year.

Naseer who was arrested in 2009 by the Bengaluru police for the 2008 serial blasts in the city which killed one person is among 18 members of the banned Students’ Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) convicted for seven years in 2018 by an NIA court in Kerala for being part of a terror training camp at Vagamon in Kerala in 2007.

Source: indianexpress.com

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https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/bangalore/prison-psychiatrist-bought-phones-sold-nia-10142238/

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3 Saudi Cities, Asir, Qatif and Riyadh To Host Film Criticism Forum

July 22, 2025

The conference continues to strengthen its role as a platform celebrating cinematic criticism in the region. (AFP)

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RIYADH: The Film Commission has announced the launch of the third annual Film Criticism Conference and its related events, under the theme “Cinema: the Art of Place.”

This year’s conference will be held at three cultural enters: Asir in August, Qatif in October, and Riyadh in November, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The event reflects the commission’s commitment to creating a critical landscape beyond traditional events, establishing an interactive knowledge platform for critics, researchers, filmmakers, and emerging Saudi talents.

The program includes informative sessions, practical workshops, and specialized art exhibitions, the SPA added.

This edition opens dialogue on the relationship between cinema and place, viewing it as a means of identity, narrative, and visual reflection that enriches both historically.

It will explore place in cinema as a symbol, a mirror of reality, or a window into imagination, inviting diverse critical and philosophical perspectives.

The conference continues to strengthen its role as a platform celebrating cinematic criticism in the region, according to the SPA.

Last year’s event attracted more than 10,000 visitors from more than 30 countries, with participation from more than 35 local and international entities, along with prominent critics, directors, and researchers.

Source: arabnews.com

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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2609063/saudi-arabia

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Bradford'sDiversity And Inclusion Champion Usman Ali knighted by King Charles at Windsor Castle

Will Abbott

23 July 2025

Social justice advocate, Usman Ali, was knighted at a ceremony in Windsor last week. He said: 'This belongs to every child told they didn’t belong, every parent who sacrificed in silence, and every community still waiting to be heard' (Image: Supplied)

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A diversity and inclusion champion from Bradford has been knighted by King Charles III.

Usman Ali, a long-serving advocate for social justice, was recognised at a ceremony at Windsor Castle for his work in equality, representation, and social mobility.

During the investiture, Mr Ali compassionately covered the King’s hand during their handshake, an act explained by a spokesperson as follows: "[Mr Ali] was mindful of the King's well-documented medical condition, which can cause discomfort and swelling in the hands, and wished to shield His Majesty from potential close-up media scrutiny."

Mr Ali used the opportunity to thank King Charles for his support of Muslim communities, and in particular for hosting Ramadan at Windsor Castle earlier this year.

He told the King: "You won the hearts of billions of Muslims worldwide by hosting Ramadan at Windsor Castle this year - and the hearts of your Kingdom by the love you showed to Bradford, our City of Culture 2025."

Mr Ali was allowed to bring six family members to the ceremony, after having made a written request that South Asian family-centric traditions, and the cause of social mobility, be considered (Image: Supplied)

Mr Ali also praised the King’s response to being heckled by college students during a recent visit, saying: "Your humility and patience touched the nation."

One aide noted that the King had "taken a real liking" to the Yorkshire champion.

Mr Ali was allowed to bring six family members - double the normal allowance - after writing to the palace to advocate for consideration of family-centric traditions in South Asian communities, and for the cause of social mobility.

He also asked for this compassionate exception to be considered for others from minority and working-class backgrounds going forward.

Mr Ali said: "For communities like ours, family isn’t just support – it’s survival."

He added: "This belongs to every child told they didn’t belong, every parent who sacrificed in silence, and every community still waiting to be heard.

"I stood at Windsor for all of us."

A spokesperson said: "[Mr Ali's] recognition comes as a point of pride for Bradford and a signal that voices from all walks of life – including those who have faced poverty, disability, and exclusion – can shape Britain’s national story.

"With his influence spanning justice, diversity, youth, and social mobility, Usman Ali MBE is now seen not only as a Bradford hero, but as a humanitarian voice for multicultural Britain."

Mr Ali has worked across multiple Ministry of Justice departments.

His work spans His Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service, probation and prison reform, neurodiversity advocacy, youth justice, public protection (MAPPA), and international civil service inclusion networks.

Source: yahoo.com

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https://uk.news.yahoo.com/bradfords-usman-ali-knighted-king-040000389.html

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India

SC to hear Mumbai blast relief tomorrow after HC acquits 12 convicts

23.07.25

The Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to list for urgent hearing the Maharashtra government’s appeal challenging Bombay High Court’s acquittal of

all 12 Mumbai train blast convicts.

The 2006 blasts had claimed over 180 lives.

A bench headed by Chief Justice B.R. Gavai scheduled a hearing for Thursday after solicitor-general Tushar Mehta mentioned the matter for urgent listing and sought a stay of the impugned judgment.

The bench, which included Justices K. Vinod Chandran and N.V. Anjaria, observed that it had read newspapers wherein it was mentioned that some of the convicts had already been released.

On Monday, a two-judge division bench of the high court had acquitted the 12 convicts after holding that the prosecution had “utterly failed” to establish the case against the convicts. It also quashed the death sentence imposed on five of the convicts and the life sentences on the remaining seven convicts by a special MOCOCA court.

The verdict came 19 years after the serial blasts on Mumbai’s local trains on July 7, 2006.

Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had expressed shock at the high court verdict and decided to file the present appeal in the apex court against the acquittals.

Source: telegraphindia.com

Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story

https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/supreme-court-to-hear-mumbai-blast-relief-tomorrow-after-high-court-acquits-12-convicts-prnt/cid/2114564

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11/7 Train Blasts Case: Judicial Lens Focused On ATS Methods & Conclusions In Other Cases Too

Jul 23, 2025

Mumbai: The 11/7 train blasts case is not the first time the Anti-Terrorism Squad's (ATS) methods and conclusions have faced judicial scrutiny. In 2016, a special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court discharged eight Muslim men who were labelled "terror accused" by ATS in the 2006 Malegaon serial blasts case. The presiding judge stated that these individuals, due to prior criminal records, were made scapegoats by ATS.

The credibility of ATS investigations faces another significant test next week with the impending verdict in the 2008 Malegaon blast case; that blast killed 6 people and injured 100. In this instance, ATS named and arrested a dozen individuals. But NIA in its own investigation in 2016 provided a clean chit to six accused, including ex-BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur.

Despite NIA's findings, the ATS' original investigation largely prevailed, with the NIA court ruling Thakur would indeed stand trial. However, the judge dropped charges invoked under MCOCA, charges initially applied by ATS but later revoked by NIA in its 2016 chargesheet. The NIA informed court that during its investigation, "it was established that no offence under MCOCA was attracted and hence the confessional statements recorded by ATS under the Act were not relied upon." Notably, NIA in its 2016 chargesheet accused ATS of planting RDX traces to frame accused Lt Col Prasad Purohit. While NIA let off Thakur and five others, citing insufficient evidence, the judge refused to grant Thakur's plea for discharge. During the trial over 30 witnesses turned hostile.

The history of probe into the 2006 Malegaon blasts further illustrates the pattern of judicial intervention. On Sept 8, 2006, 31 people died and 312 were injured in four blasts in Malegaon. The ATS arrested nine Muslim men, alleging they belonged to SIMI. In Dec 2006, ATS filed a 4,500-page chargesheet. However, the case was handed over to CBI the same day following complaints from Malegaon residents that the nine were framed.

In 2011, the case was transferred to NIA after the CBI team indicated the role of right-wing outfits, a suspicion reinforced when Swami Aseemanand, an accused in the Mecca Masjid blast, confessed a right-wing group was involved. On Nov 5, 2011, the special MCOCA court granted bail to the nine accused. While seven were released on bail, two remained in jail due to their alleged role in the 11/7 blasts. In 2016, eight accused were discharged, and charges against one who died in 2015 were abated. Proceedings continued against four other accused, against whom NIA filed a chargesheet in 2013.

In the discharge order, special judge VV Patil stated that while ATS officers who conducted the probe had no animosity with the accused, "in my view, as they discharged their public duty but in a wrong way, they may not be blamed for it." The judge expressed doubt that "it seemed highly impossible that the accused who are from the Muslim community would have decided to kill their own people to create disharmony in two communities, that too on a holy day of Shab-e-baraat." The judge further referenced NIA findings, which revealed that an ATS witness, who previously claimed to have witnessed bomb preparation, retracted his statement, asserting it was taken under duress. Additionally, NIA found all confessional statements recorded by ATS were retracted as they were taken under "pressure and duress."

Mohammed Majid, whom ATS identified as one of the planters, told NIA that on the day of the blasts he was 400 km away at Fulsawangi, Yavatmal. The order came 10 days after NIA, unlike its previous stance, strongly objected to the discharge pleas. Dubbing it as an "ulta face," the judge said, "At the time of first hearing of the matter, the prosecution has canvassed they have nothing to say except the reply filed by NIA upon the discharge applications," the judge said. During its reply to the discharge plea in Aug 2013, NIA did not oppose the pleas and instead said its evidence "was not in consonance with evidence collected earlier by ATS and CBI," which recommended prosecution of the nine accused.

Judicial lens focused on ATS methods & conclusions in other cases too

Rebecca.Samervel

Source: indiatimes.com

Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/judicial-lens-focused-on-ats-methods-conclusions-in-other-cases-too/articleshow/122842518.cms

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Acquitted In 11/7 Mumbai Train Blasts, Duo Recalls Prison Trauma And Lost Joys

Jul 23, 2025

Mumbai: A day after the Bombay high court judgment acquitted him from the charge of conspiracy in the 11/7 train blasts, Mohammed Ali Shaikh's Govandi residence was filled with relatives and neighbours who greeted him with sweets, while phones buzzed with congratulatory calls.

"The happiness of reuniting with my family cannot be described. After 19 years, I sat with my wife, children, brothers and sisters and had food," said Shaikh (56), as he sat with the TOI reporter at the threshold of his house on Tuesday.

"The HC has freed us. Truth has triumphed. We will fight our case in Supreme Court if need be, and are sure to win," he added.

Shaikh received word about their acquittal during an online court hearing. "Ehtesham Siddiqui and I were released from Nagpur jail on Monday evening and flew to Mumbai at 3.30am Tuesday."

"We were falsely implicated, tortured, and humiliated. Even my 11-year-old son was slapped by an ATS officer," he recalled. "ATS officers would visit my house and harass my family. They threatened me at gunpoint and asked me to become approver, even offering me Rs 10 lakh, a job in Dubai and Rs 10,000 monthly expenses if I complied. But I did not accept as we were innocent."

The Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) had claimed that a Pakistani had visited Shaikh's home and manufactured the bombs that were planted on the trains on July 11, 2006. "Everything was a lie. They tarnished our image, imprisoned Shaikh and ruined our families," said a relative.

When lodged in Thane jail, Shaikh had applied for parole after his brother Munawwar passed away, but it was rejected. Later his father died. "This time, they sanctioned parole, but the fee for police escort from Thane jail to Govandi was Rs 1.7 lakh. How could I afford it?" he rued.

In jail, Shaikh passed two courses in tourism, completed graduation in Arts, and appeared for the first-year exam for MA (History). He plans to complete his post-graduation.

Meanwhile, Zameer Shaikh (50), a key-maker from Worli who was released from Amravati jail on Monday evening after his acquittal, told TOI over the phone: "I am thankful to Allah. I am travelling right now." He said his son, who was in Class 1 when he was arrested in 2006, has become a mechanical engineer and his daughter is also studying. He added that he misses his parents, who died when he was in jail. Zameer was sentenced to life imprisonment by a trial court for allegedly receiving arms training in Pakistan and for alleged links with the Matunga train blast.

"The HC has freed us. Truth has triumphed. We will fight our case in Supreme Court if need be, and are sure to win," he added.

Shaikh received word about their acquittal during an online court hearing. "Ehtesham Siddiqui and I were released from Nagpur jail on Monday evening and flew to Mumbai at 3.30am Tuesday."

In jail, Shaikh passed two courses in tourism, completed graduation in Arts, and appeared for the first-year exam for MA (History). He plans to complete his post-graduation.

Source: indiatimes.com

Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/acquitted-in-11/7-mumbai-train-blasts-duo-recalls-prison-trauma-and-lost-joys/articleshow/122843549.cms

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11/7 case: HC discarded confessions on technicalities, Maha tells SC

Jul 23, 2025

NEW DELHI: A day after Bombay high court quashed the conviction of all 12 accused found guilty a decade ago for the 2006 Mumbai train blasts that killed 187 and injured 824 people, Supreme Court Tuesday agreed to hear on Thursday an appeal filed by Maharashtra govt challenging the acquittals.

State govt told the apex court that HC misdirected itself into trivialities and misread cogent evidence, leading to failure of justice.

Evidence had been meticulously collected by the prosecution to establish a chain, inculpating the accused for specific roles discharged by them to strike terror at the heart of the economic capital of India and wage a war against the country, govt added.

'HC discarded confessions on technicalities'

Solicitor general Tushar Mehta told a bench led by CJI BR Gavai, “It (the plea) requires urgent hearing as it has serious ramifications. Can it be listed for hearing on Wednesday?” Gavai said he learnt from news reports that eight accused have already been released from prison. SG said it was true, but the petition required urgent hearing. Finding additional solicitor general Rajkumar Bhaskar Thakre alongside the SG, the CJI said, “It was Thakre who had argued the case before HC. We will list the petition for hearing the day after tomorrow (Thursday).” HC on Monday had acquitted all 12 accused, five of whom were awarded death penalty and the rest life sentences, in the case relating to seven coordinated bomb blasts in as many crowded suburban trains within six minutes from 6.23pm on July 11, 2006. In Sept 2015, the special trial court for crimes under Maharashtra Control of Organised Crimes Act had convicted the 12 accused while acquitting one.

Maharashtra govt told SC that the evidence clearly pointed to central role of LeT commander Azam Cheema, a Pakistani national, and two other accused who masterminded the attack on Mumbai by sending three groups of terrorists from Pakistan who entered India through Kutch, Gujarat, and through various entry points to India from Bangladesh and Nepal. It said the confessions of the accused persons, admissible under MCOCA, were discarded by the HC on technicalities even when they formed a chain of events and outlined the conspiracy to launch the sinister attack on Mumbai suburban trains, which were full of people returning from offices, and cause maximum loss of lives.

Source: indiatimes.com

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'I Married Ishita, But She Was Afreen': UP Man Alleges Forced Conversion Bid By Chhangur Baba;

Jul 23, 2025

BHADOHI: A man has accused Chhangur Baba, also known as Jamaluddin, of “brainwashing” him and threatening to kill his two daughters in an attempt to force him to convert to Islam, police said. According to officials, Jamaluddin—who hails from Balrampur—allegedly targeted individuals from various communities and maintained a “rate list” for religious conversions. He was arrested earlier this month by the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad.

Jyotirgmay Rai (35) has alleged that he was brainwashed by Chhangur Baba and later threatened with the murder of his two daughters in an attempt to force him to convert to Islam.

Rai’s complaint, submitted to Additional Director General of Police Piyush Mordia on Tuesday, has triggered an investigation. Bhadohi superintendent of police Abhimanyu Mangalik confirmed that a probe is underway.

According to Rai, he married a woman he knew as Ishita through an Arya Samaj ceremony, only to later discover her real name was Afreen and that she belonged to a Muslim family.

Tensions reportedly escalated after the birth of their second daughter in March 2024, when Afreen’s family allegedly began pressuring Rai to convert to Islam.

"Rai claims that Afreen left with their daughters for Lucknow in November 2024. When he followed them, he was allegedly threatened and subjected to brainwashing by Chhangur Baba. He has also claimed that he was asked to convert to Islam while his daughters were held at knifepoint," said the SP.

After working in Lucknow from December 2024 to April 2025, Rai returned to Bhadohi without converting and filed a petition before the high court seeking his children's custody.

"A police team has been deployed to investigate the matter," said the superintendent of police.

Source: indiatimes.com

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Assam constable’s son among nine detained in Gurugram on suspicion of being ‘illegal Bangladeshis’

Scroll Staff

Jul 23, 2025

An Assam Police constable has said that his son is among the nine Muslims of Bengali origin who have been detained in Gurugram since Sunday on suspicion of being undocumented Bangladeshi immigrants.

Sannat Ali, a constable in the Assam Industrial Security Force, told Scroll that his son, 23-year-old Ashraful Islam, is a resident of Barbala village in Barpeta district. He had gone to Haryana on July 11 after completing his college exams, said Ali.

Upon reaching Gurugram on July 13, Ashraful Islam started working at a construction site in Sector 10A.

“At the same time, the police started picking up Muslim workers to nab Bangladeshis,” alleged Ali. “Many of them were released after document verification.”

He added that his son and eight others from Barpeta were picked up by the police on Sunday morning when they were working at the construction site.

Ali said that his son had submitted his voter ID card, school certificates, Aadhaar card and PAN card, which were not accepted by the police. “They call them illegal Bangladeshis,” Ali alleged.

He added: “We have sent more documents like my service identity card and voter cards. Senior police officials have contacted me this morning. They are working to release him.”

An Assam Police official confirmed to Scroll that they have spoken to Ashraful Islam’s family and their counterparts in Haryana.

Rakibul Islam, the worker’s brother, said that Ashraful Islam had sent a WhatsApp message on Sunday morning, saying that the police had come to the site to verify the workers’ documents.

“So we have sent the documents on WhatsApp and the documents were already with him as well,” Rakibul Islam said. “That’s the last communication. The WhatsApp status shows that he saw the text but his phone was soon switched off. We did not have any clue about his whereabouts till Monday.”

An assistant commissioner of police-rank in Gurugram West told Scroll that the action was taken as per the Union home ministry’s guidelines requiring the persons’ identity documents to be verified.

The police official did not mention the number of workers who had been detained.

“The process to verify their documents is going on,” the official said.

In May, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs directed the states and Union Territories to verify the credentials of persons suspected to be undocumented migrants from Bangladesh and Myanmar.

Earlier, 26 Bengali-speaking persons from Assam were allegedly detained in Gurugram on July 13 and July 14 on suspicion of being undocumented Bangladeshi migrants. They were released after their documents were verified.

Since the Pahalgam terror attack, Bengali-speaking migrant workers have been rounded up by the police in several states ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party and asked to prove that they are Indian citizens. In some cases, Indian workers were sent to Bangladesh.

On July 21, the All Assam Minorities Students’ Union, a group representing the interest of Bengali-origin Muslims in the state, wrote to the chief ministers of Assam and Haryana alleging that residents of Lower Assam, who are mostly daily wage labourers, were being detained by Haryana Police in several areas of Gurugram under the “false assumption and accusation that they are foreigners”.

Source: scroll.in

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‘Serial Borrower From The IMF’: India Mocks Pakistan At UN

Jul 23, 2025

NEW DELHI: India on Tuesday stepped up its attack against Pakistan at the United Nations after Islamabad raised the Kashmir issue and the ongoing dispute over the Indus Waters.

Marking the 80th anniversary of the UN, India's ambassador Parvathaneni Harish said that states violating the principle of "good neighbourliness" by fomenting cross-border terrorism "must bear a serious cost."

"There should also be a serious cost to states that violate the spirit of good neighbourliness and international relations by fomenting cross-border terrorism. Recently, consequent to the gruesome terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, on 22 April 2025 that led to the killing of 26 innocent tourists, and based on the Council statement of 25 April—where members of the Security Council underlined the need to hold perpetrators, organizers, financiers, and sponsors of this reprehensible act of terrorism accountable and bring them to justice," Harish said.

"India launched Operation Sindoor targeting terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, which was focused, measured, and non-escalatory in nature, aimed at achieving its primary objectives. A cessation of military activities was directly concluded at the request of Pakistan," he added.

Harish drew a stark contrast between the two countries and accused Pakistan of being plagued by terrorism and economic instability.

"I am constrained also to respond to the remarks made by the representative of Pakistan. The Indian subcontinent offers a stark contrast in terms of progress, prosperity, and development models. On the one hand, there is India—a mature democracy, a surging economy, and a pluralistic and inclusive society. At the other extreme is Pakistan—steeped in fanaticism and terrorism, and a serial borrower from the IMF," Harish said.

"As we debate promoting international peace and security, it is essential to recognize that there are some fundamental principles which need to be universally respected. One of them is zero tolerance for terrorism. It ill behoves a member of the Council to offer homilies while indulging in practices that are unacceptable to the international community," he added.

This came after Pakistan's deputy prime minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar raised the dispute between India and Pakistan over the Indus Waters Treaty, which New Delhi placed into abeyance after the Pahalgam terror attack in April.

"Jammu and Kashmir remains one of the oldest disputes on the agenda of the UN Security Council. It is an internationally recognized disputed territory, the final disposition of which is to be made in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and the wishes of the Kashmiri people. No cosmetic measures can serve as a substitute for the fundamental and inalienable right of self-determination of the Kashmiris, as guaranteed by the relevant Security Council resolutions," Ishaq Dar said.

"A 65-year-old Indus Waters Treaty between India and Pakistan is a noteworthy example of dialogue and diplomacy working to peacefully arrive at a water-sharing arrangement between two neighbours. The treaty has withstood periods of trials and tribulations in bilateral relations. It is most unfortunate and regrettable that India has chosen to illegally and unilaterally hold this treaty in abeyance on baseless grounds, with the intention of withholding the flow of water to 240 million people of Pakistan, who rely on it for their livelihood and survival," he added.

Source: indiatimes.com

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‘We’re tightening the noose’: 3 months since Pahalgam, how Army is working to corner terrorists

by Arun Sharma

July 23, 2025

From night operations to dominating higher ground – with exactly three months having passed since the Pahalgam terror attack, the Army is working overtime to ensure terrorists don’t get a moment to settle in dense forests and mountain ranges of Jammu and Kashmir, top officers have told The Indian Express.

Earlier, top Army sources said, operations would often be suspended following sunset and would resume at dawn. However, the shift to more night operations is intended to ensure that terrorists can neither rest at one place nor move around easily in the dark.

On June 26, search operations during the night led a joint party of the police and security forces to establish contact with a group of terrorists in Basantgarh area of Udhampur, resulting in the killing of a top terrorist commander of the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad. Identified as Haider, codenamed Maulvi from Pakistan, he was active in the area for the last four years.

Sources also said that security forces have made it a point to occupy the higher ground in the Pir Panjal range. A senior Army officer cited a recent encounter in the Chatroo area of Kishtwar, where a group of terrorists moving upwards towards a ridge was caught off guard by the Army troops, who were already dominating the strategic mountain heights.

The militants, who are believed to have been on the way to the South Kashmir side, on the other side of the ridge, were challenged by the troops and retaliated by hurling a grenade. Two terrorists were killed in the morning of May 22.

“We are tightening the noose,” a senior Army officer said. Pointing out that “the terrorists are finding it increasingly difficult to move”, he said, “We will hunt them down, sooner or later.”

Pointing out that 40-50 terrorists in small groups are believed to be active in areas falling on the South of Pir Panjal range in Jammu province, sources said that over 80 per cent are Pakistani nationals.

The counter-terror operations, Army sources said, are in progress not only in areas of Rajouri and Poonch districts along the Line of Control, but also in the hinterland areas of Reasi, Doda, Kishtwar, Udhampur and Kathua districts.

Source: indianexpress.com

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Donald Trump repeats ‘stopped India-Pakistan war’ and ‘five jets down’ claims, Congress keeps count, cites ‘silver jubilee’

23.07.25

Almost every morning, the Congress leader Jairam Ramesh fires off a post on his X (Twitter before Elon Musk took over) handle, targeting the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

And Donald Trump, with his repeated assertions on bringing about a ceasefire between India and Pakistan, keeps providing ammunition for the Opposition to target Modi, whom the US President calls a friend and fantastic leader.

At a White House reception for US Congress members on Tuesday, Trump once again reiterated that it was his intervention that stopped a full-scale conflict between the nuclear-armed South Asian neighbours.

“We stopped wars between India and Pakistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda,” he said. On the India-Pakistan standoff, he added, “They shot down five planes and it was back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. I called them and said, ‘Listen, no more trade. If you do this, you're not going to be good… They're both powerful nuclear nations and that would have happened, and who knows where that would have ended up. And I stopped it’.”

Just how many times has Trump claimed credit for stopping the spiralling conflict between India and Pakistan? Ask Jairam Ramesh.

“As the Modi Govt continues in its refusal to give firm dates for a debate on Pahalgam-Sindoor in Parliament and as the Modi Govt persists in its refusal to commit to a reply by the PM in the debate, President Trump reaches the silver jubilee, the quarter century mark on his claims. He has trumpeted 25 times in the last 73 days but the Prime Minister of India is totally quiet — finding time only to travel abroad and to destabilise democratic institutions at home,” the Congress leader wrote on Wednesday morning.

For the Opposition, Trump’s persistent claims have become a recurring opportunity to call out what they allege is Modi’s deliberate avoidance of accountability. The party has repeatedly criticised the Prime Minister’s continued silence, especially in light of sensitive issues like terrorism and cross-border conflict.

And right now, the Opposition is trying to pin down the Modi government over losses incurred in the conflict with Pakistan.

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi had only days ago picked up on Trump’s “five jets shot down” claim, asking Prime Minister Modi about the “truth”.

The government has consistently denied there was any third-party mediation.

Foreign secretary Vikram Misri had dismissed Trump’s mediation claims in a video message from the G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Canada, stating that during a 35-minute phone call between Modi and Trump, “at no point” was any trade deal or mediation proposal discussed.

“India does not and will never accept mediation,” Misri asserted, clarifying that the ceasefire discussion happened through direct military channels between the two nations.

Still, for the Congress, the political opportunity presented by Trump’s unverified claims has been too tempting to ignore. In the absence of a rebuttal from the Prime Minister, every new Trump statement reinforces the opposition’s portrayal of a government unwilling to come clean on issues of national security.

Source: telegraphindia.com

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Arab World

Young Saudis will power the Kingdom’s green future, says expert

July 22, 2025

RIYADH: As Saudi Arabia pursues its Vision 2030, sustainability has become a national priority. With more than 63 percent of the population under 30, young Saudis are emerging as key drivers of the Kingdom’s green transition.

EmanAlhajji, a scientific researcher and founder of the Saudi Youth for Sustainability initiative, believes the role of Saudi youths goes beyond participation.

In 2021, she was named Young Changemaker for leading sustainability initiatives by UniversitadellaSvizzeraitaliana during the MEM Summer Summit, in collaboration with the Middle East and North Africa Division of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs.

“Young Saudis bring an intrinsic value rooted in their unique perspective,” she told Arab News. “They possess a digital fluency and global awareness that allows them to seamlessly connect with international best practices and rapidly disseminate information.”

This combination, she said, makes them “indispensable partners in shaping a resilient and prosperous Kingdom.”

The presence of younger generations is increasingly visible in major efforts such as the Saudi Green Initiative, the Middle East Green Initiative, and global platforms such as COP27 and COP16.

From renewable energy storage to sustainable agriculture and advanced recycling, youth-led initiatives can serve as incubators for the green economy.

“We are not only nurturing a generation of environmental stewards but also cultivating a new generation of green entrepreneurs, engineers and digital innovators — ensuring that Saudi Arabia’s economic diversification is synonymous with sustainable growth and technological leadership.”

A 2024 PwC report supports this, showing that 91 percent of Saudi youth are familiar with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, prioritizing quality education, clean water and sanitation, zero hunger, peace, justice and affordable clean energy.

It also noted that young Saudis are showing increasing interest in fields such as health care, renewable energy and tourism, viewing them as ways to make an impact while building the future.

Education remains a cornerstone. While AlHajji acknowledged progress in integrating sustainability into the Saudi school system, she called for more interdisciplinary and problem-based approaches.

“Sustainability should be seamlessly integrated across all subjects — from science and engineering to economics, urban planning, and even the arts — demonstrating its pervasive relevance,” she explained.

HaninAljifri, CEO of the Saudi Youth for Sustainability organization, echoed the sentiment, while noting a gap between awareness and action.

“The biggest challenge isn’t a lack of interest — it’s a lack of clear starting points. Many young people simply don’t know where to begin or how to take the first step.”

Despite this, she remains optimistic.

“We’ve seen firsthand that a large number of youth in Saudi Arabia are eager to get involved in sustainability; they’re passionate, motivated, and ready to contribute.”

Source: arabnews.com

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Saudi Arabia digitizes its documentary heritage to enrich public knowledge

July 22, 2025

RIYADH: As part of the Kingdom’s accelerating digital transformation, the King Abdulaziz Foundation for Research and Archives, known as Darah, continues to strengthen its role as a leading authority in preserving Saudi history and safeguarding the nation’s documentary heritage through forward-looking initiatives that expand public access to knowledge.

Last month, Darah launched its strategic initiative, Darah Documents, as part of a broader development plan to enhance access to historical sources and improve the user experience for its research services.

Prince Faisal bin Salman, chairman of Darah’s board of directors, endorsed efforts to expand access to the foundation’s content and transform it into a comprehensive digital resource that supports researchers and reinforces the role of documents in shaping national identity, according to Darah CEO TurkiAlshuwaier.

Alshuwaier told Arab News the Darah Documents initiative builds on the foundation’s work to collect, classify, and make national documents accessible through innovative means.

“It also represents one of the main pillars of our new strategic plan,” he said, “which focuses on maximizing knowledge impact by organizing initiatives to reinforce Darah’s authority in historical preservation and broaden its reach.”

He said that the initiative seeks to digitize and archive a curated selection of high-value historical documents, making them available through an advanced digital portal and the Beneficiary Services Center, to facilitate fast and efficient access for scholars and the general public.

Alshuwaier described Darah Documents as “a qualitative leap in national archiving,” transferring records from traditional paper formats into organized digital content that supports the knowledge economy and strengthens the Kingdom’s presence in digital history.

He explained that Darah applies a comprehensive system of scientific and technical procedures — including acquisition, verification, digitization, indexing, and access — using high-resolution scanners and international standards to ensure accuracy and fast retrieval.

According to Alshuwaier, the documentary content is preserved in secure digital and physical repositories in an intelligent institutional environment, enabling researchers to access reliable primary sources seamlessly and efficiently for their academic and knowledge-driven projects.

“The objectives of the initiative go beyond preservation and accessibility,” he added. “It aims to transform the document into a living knowledge tool that enriches cultural and scientific output and applies across history, education, politics, society, and the arts — contributing to a national digital narrative for future generations.”

He also emphasized Darah’s ambition to lead the national historical content landscape through initiatives that blend authenticity with innovation, turning documents into a dynamic platform that serves both knowledge and society.

Source: arabnews.com

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Saudi Cabinet backs Syria reconstruction efforts, urges global action to end Gaza war and aid blockade

July 22, 2025

RIYADH: The Saudi Cabinet on Tuesday reaffirmed its support for joint efforts in rebuilding Syria while ensuring the country’s security, stability, unity and sovereignty.

In its weekly meeting, chaired by Saudi Arabia’s King Salman, the Cabinet highlighted the Kingdom’s support for the joint statement issued by foreign ministers of several brotherly countries regarding developments in Syria.

It also followed up on the relief and humanitarian efforts provided by the Kingdom to the Syrian people.

The Council of Ministers welcomed a joint statement by 28 countries that called for ending the war in Gaza and condemned Israel’s obstruction of aid delivery to civilians in the strip.

The countries urged Israel to lift all restrictions on humanitarian aid, and ensure its safe delivery to residents in the Palestinian enclave.

The Cabinet renewed the Kingdom’s call to the international community to urgently take decisions and practical steps in response to Israel’s obstinacy, which deliberately prolongs the crisis and undermines regional and international peace efforts.

Source:arabnews.com

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Global experts to address space debris in Riyadh

July 22, 2025

RIYADH: The Saudi Space Agency will host the second International Space Debris Conference in Riyadh on Jan. 26–27, 2026, according to a Saudi Press Agency report.

The event is part of the agency’s efforts to strengthen the Kingdom’s leadership in global initiatives for the sustainability of the space sector.

The conference aims to foster international dialogue, develop joint policies to mitigate the growing impact of space debris, promote global cooperation on sustainable solutions and innovative technologies, and support strategies for the long-term sustainability of the space environment.

The agency invited interested participants to register at ssa.gov.sa/SDC26. It also announced the launch of the global DebriSolver Competition, to be held during the conference.

The competition seeks innovative solutions to address space debris challenges, focusing on technical, regulatory, economic, and social aspects. The registration deadline for the competition is Aug. 30, with applications accepted at ssa.gov.sa/c-ar.

The first edition, held in Riyadh in 2024, drew participants from over 50 countries, as well as international organizations and global companies. It concluded with recommendations aimed at raising awareness about the importance of managing space debris.

Source: arabnews.com

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Saudi interior minister holds meeting with employees on scholarship in London

July 22, 2025

LONDON: Saudi Minister of Interior Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif in London on Tuesday met several ministry employees studying in the UK.

During the meeting, Prince Abdulaziz highlighted the ministry’s commitment to offering scholarships and distinguished educational opportunities to its employees, adding that investing in individuals is key to achieving the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.

He said that scholarship holders will return to the Kingdom after acquiring academic and professional skills, bringing science and knowledge to contribute to Saudi Arabia’s development.

Assistant Minister of Interior Dr. Hisham bin Abdulrahman Al-Falih and several senior officials from the ministry attended the meeting in the English capital.

Source: arabnews.com

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The vintage trucks that once connected Saudi Arabia’s villages and cities

July 22, 2025

RIYADH: The vintage red truck, referred to in Arabic as a “lorry” after the British synonym, has become a cherished symbol of heritage in Saudi Arabia and across the Gulf.

From the 1940s through the 1970s, these trucks — typically from American manufacturers such as Ford — played a crucial role in transport, connecting remote villages with bustling cities at a time when travel options were scarce and conditions often difficult.

Historian Abdullah Al-Zahrani told the Saudi Press Agency that residents, visitors and religious pilgrims depended heavily on these vehicles for extended journeys, which could last several days.

He said that the red truck marked a turning point in transportation, providing families and children with a new level of comfort.

Beyond carrying passengers, the red truck was vital to the local economy. It transported food supplies to markets and commercial centers, enabling merchants to move goods such as dates, spices, livestock, and textiles. This, in turn, boosted rural trade and strengthened regional connections.

Salem Al-Abdali, a local resident whose father once drove a red truck in the villages south of Taif, fondly recalled its signature red paint, handcrafted sunroof, juniper wood floors, and hand-stitched canvas roof that sheltered passengers from harsh weather.

Al-Abdali noted that the red truck held a unique social standing as the main alternative to camels, and it became intertwined with memories, stories and traditional songs recited during journeys.

He added that some drivers would even transport villagers free of charge, reflecting the era’s strong sense of cooperation and community spirit.

Source: arabnews.com

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Europe

UK FM ‘sickened’ by Israel’s conduct in Gaza

July 22, 2025

LONDON: Britain’s foreign secretary said he feels “appalled” and “sickened” by Israel’s actions in Gaza, and that the UK could launch a new wave of sanctions against Tel Aviv if no ceasefire deal is reached.

It follows a joint statement from 25 countries on Monday — including the UK, France, Canada and Australia — urging Israel to end its restrictions on aid entering the Palestinian enclave, The Independent reported.

David Lammy said that only a “change in behavior” from Israel would cause the British government to abandon its plan to introduce new sanctions against it.

The Israeli military this week launched a new ground operation on Deir Al-Balah in central Gaza, which is the primary aid hub for the territory.

Lammy was interviewed on “Good Morning Britain” on Tuesday, a day after releasing the joint statement with his 24 counterparts.

He was asked what steps the government would take should Israel fail to reach a ceasefire deal with Hamas.

“Well, we’ve announced a raft of sanctions over the last few months,” he said.

“There will be more, clearly, and we keep all of those options under consideration if we do not see a change in behavior and the suffering that we are seeing come to an end.

“It’s important that we continue to work with international partners if we are to have the maximum result. But what I want to see is a ceasefire and it’s my assessment that once the Knesset rises on July 28, we are more likely to see a ceasefire come into effect.”

Last month, Lammy announced British sanctions against two senior far-right members of the Netanyahu government, Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, both of whom have repeatedly incited violence against Palestinians.

Monday’s 25-nation joint statement condemned Israel and the US’s aid model for Gaza, which was designed to replace much of the existing UN aid system in the enclave.

The organization at the center of the new model, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, has faced intense criticism after scores of Palestinians were shot dead by Israeli forces at its designated aid sites.

Lammy told “BBC Breakfast” about his reaction to events in Gaza: “I feel the same as the British public: appalled, sickened. I described what I saw, yesterday in parliament, as grotesque.”

He added: “These are not words that are usually used by a foreign secretary who is attempting to be diplomatic, but when you see innocent children holding out their hand for food, and you see them shot and killed in the way that we have seen in the last few days, of course Britain must call it out.”

Israel’s war in Gaza has killed more than 55,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children.

Source: arabnews.com

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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2609071/middle-east

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Man fined after £400 criminal damage to Worcester Mosque

22ND JULY

By Mary Stenson

A MAN caused £400 of criminal damage at a city mosque.

Javid Ali, aged 44, damaged a windowsill, cupboard doors, a speaker and a kettle at Worcester Central Mosque on Tallow Hill on July 19.

He pleaded guilty at Kidderminster Magistrates' Court to criminal damage.

Ali, of Barbourne Road, has been ordered to pay a fine of £80 and a £32 surcharge to the Crown Prosecution Service.

There was no compensation as the prosecution did not provide sufficient details for a compensation order.

Source: worcesternews.co.uk

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https://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/25332021.man-fined-400-criminal-damage-worcester-mosque/

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MP joins hundreds outside South Lakes Islamic Centre

22ND JULY

By Imogen Barber

Hundreds of protesters and counter-protesters stood up for their beliefs at the site of the development of the new South Lakes Islamic Centre (SLIC).

Opponents to the development organised a protest outside the building site on Saturday July 19.

Furness Stand Up To Racism took to the opposite side of the street to counter-protest in support of SLIC.

Cumbria Police gave extra powers to patrolling officers to ensure public safety.

Protesters on the anti-Islamic Centre side declined to speak to us.

Paul Jenkins, who organised the counter-protest said: “We are here today to show support for the South Lakes Islamic Centre. We are also here in opposition to the protest against the Islamic Centre.

“The protest against the Islamic Centre does not speak for the majority of people in Dalton or Furness. The majority of our people here are from Furness, including Dalton. We celebrate our multicultural, multifaith community and defend the right of the Islamic centre to be here.”

MP for Barrow and Furness, Michelle Scrogham was there to show her support for the SLIC.

“I am here because there’s absolutely no place for racism in Cumbria. The comments that plague the social media pages constantly don’t represent the people of this area. The people of this area have always been incredibly welcoming,” she said.

“We’ve had immigration on a mass scale for many, many years. People that moved here in the 1800s - they weren’t from round here - this town is built on immigration.

“The number of people who have moved here for jobs and work and settled with their families and nothing has changed at all.

“Anybody that wants to come here and say you’re not welcome they’re wrong. It’s just utterly wrong.

“We are a very welcoming community. We’ve got all of our doctors, nurses and surgeons that look after us. I am working to try and get people to move here to look after us in that hospital. The ones that have just moved here most recently are Muslim. They’ve got nowhere to pray. Why would we deny them somewhere to follow their faith? This is what life is about. Let people make those choices.”

Henry Goodwin said: ‘There are five British values, which include tolerance of other people's faiths and beliefs.

"We're standing up for proper British values."

Amy Heild said: "I had a look for some quotes from the Koran and the Bible.

"In both religions I found lots of examples where they are advocating for peace and tolerance of people's different faiths and religion, and looking at how God would look favourably on people that support people outside of their own faith and the human right to dignity in their own beliefs.”

Lynne Chambers from Dalton said: “I’m here in support of the Islamic Centre. I’m in support of multiculturalism and all who are going to use it.

"People should be treated with dignity, no matter what their faith, ethnicity or religion. There’s a much bigger crowd than last time, showing increasing support for the mosque. I’m very pleased to see our MP here as well.”

Source: asianimage.co.uk

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Inverclyde MP Martin McCluskey backs Muslim community

22ND JULY

By Susan Lochrie

INVERCLYDE'S MP has sent out a strong message of unity as he showed his support for the Muslim community following the recent attack on their place of worship by a 17-year-old teen.

Martin McCluskey visited the Inverclyde Muslim Centre in Laird Street where he condemned the 'isolated' incident and promised there was no place for 'hostility, prejudice or racism' in [[Inverclyde]].

The leaders of the centre - which has been in the town in some form for 14 years - opened their doors recently for Friday prayers, and invited the MP along to see for himself the integration and outreach working going on in the centre.

Mr McCluskey's visit came just a few days after the 17-year-old - who cannot be named because of his age - pleaded guilty at the High Court in Glasgow to planning to carry out an attack on the Laird Street centre.

The team at the centre told the Tele that they've been overwhelmed by the solidary shown by the wider community - and the centre's imam also says he wants to show mercy to the teenager and his family.

Speaking at the centre, Mr McCluskey said: "I want to make it clear this was the action of an individual, and does not represent the vast majority of people in Inverclyde, who stand in absolute solidarity with you.

"This person does not speak for the wider community in Inverclyde.

"There is no place in Inverclyde or in our society for hostility, prejudice or racism.

"[[Inverclyde]] has a proud history of welcoming people. Port Glasgow, Greenock and Gourock were built on people coming from other places.

"My family came here from Ireland many years ago, like so many other families.

"It is wonderful to be here today and I want to thank you for inviting me. If anyone has experienced any hostility, prejudice or racism, I hope you will come and speak to me.

"The wider community is in complete solidarity with you, and I am here to help with any issues that you may have."

At the event the Inverclyde Muslim Centre president Mohammad Akhtar told all those coming along for Friday prayers that they have been moved by the solidarity shown since the incident, which took place in January.

He added: "This is a place for Muslims and non-Muslims. We have many groups going on here, and all are welcome. We are looking to expand the centre and build on what we have."

The Inverclyde Muslim Centre is a place or worship and community for a growing number of people who have made Inverclyde their home in recent years, coming from places like Syria and Afghanistan as well as those who have been here for decades.

Some of the leaders, including secretary Hamid Akhtar, have spent 14 years building up the centre, which was previously located in West Blackhall Street.

Since moving to the Laird Street they have improved the facilities on offer and the activities and classes provided to people of all ages.

They now have people from around 17 nationalities, speaking up to 10 different languages, using the centre regularly.

Multi lingual imam Mohammad Bilal has been leading prayers for the last two years.

He said: "We are delighted to have Mr McCluskey here. It is very important to us to reach out to the people of Inverclyde.

"We are overwhelmed by the support we have had from politicians, the wider community and Police Scotland since the incident. It was the act of an individual, and is very much isolated.

"I have to be clear that we want to show mercy on the individual as well, and his family.

"He was only 16 when it took place. That is so important to us.

"As a community we feel safe in Inverclyde and we have been made so welcome."

The centre's team also used Mr McCluskey's visit as a way to press him on the need for a burial place in Inverclyde for those of the Islamic faith.

Families currently have to make use of Muslim sections of cemeteries in Glasgow for burials

Source: greenocktelegraph.co.uk

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Two Israelis questioned after attending Belgium's Tomorrow land festival

24 July 2025

Paul Kirby

Belgian police say they have questioned two Israelis after two pro-Palestinian groups alleged they had been waving flags from their army brigade at the Tomorrowland music festival.

The men were briefly detained and then released after they had been interviewed, prosecutors said.

The Hind Rajab Foundation and Global Legal Action Network said they had filed a complaint after a group of young Israelis was seen flying the purple-and-white flag of the Givati Brigade, alleging the pair had committed war crimes in Gaza.

The Givati flag was among several Israeli flags waved during a set by Israeli DJ duo Vini Vici at Tomorrowland last Friday.

Prosecutors said no further details would be released about the case at this stage. The Hind Rajab Foundation called the arrest of the Israelis a "significant step forward".

They are not thought to have been prevented from leaving Belgium.

The BBC contacted the Israeli embassy in Brussels, which declined to comment other than to confirm that the two men had been released.

Before detaining the pair, prosecutors said they had decided they could investigate the allegations under Belgium's universal jurisdiction law, which allows local courts to hear cases involving alleged crimes committed outside Belgium.

The law was updated last year to enable Belgian police to gather evidence of violations.

The European Jewish Association said in a statement that it was "deeply concerned" by the conduct of the Belgian authorities towards the two Israelis.

"These soldiers were carrying out their lawful duties in defense of their country, duties comparable to those of any soldier serving in a democratic nation," the EJA said.

The Hind Rajab Foundation is chaired by Dyab Abou Jahjah, a controversial Belgian-Lebanese activist who has admitted joining Lebanese group Hezbollah when he was young. Hezbollah's military wing is proscribed as a terrorist group in the EU.

This year's Tomorrowland festival went ahead last week even though a fire destroyed the main stage 48 hours before the event was due to start.

Tens of thousands flocked to the festival in Boom, near Antwerp, to hear acts including David Guetta and Lost Frequencies.

Source: bbc.com

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Southeast Asia

Kelantan intensifies efforts to tackle youth social issues with religious programmes

July 22, 2025

KOTA BHARU: The Kelantan government has reinforced its initiatives to combat social problems among young people by reintroducing religious education programmes. The state Islamic Religious Affairs Department (JAHEAIK) has resumed farduain and Quran classes for LGBT individuals, a programme that had been paused during the COVID-19 pandemic.

State Islamic Development, Dakwah, Information and Public Relations Committee chairman MohdAsri Mat Daud confirmed the revival of these classes, which are now held twice weekly. “Since June 2024, the classes have resumed as usual and are held twice a week. Throughout the programme, we have observed progress among participants, some of whom have mastered Quran recitation and shown behavioural changes and repentance as a result of the initiative,“ he said.

The programme, initially launched in 2019, is a collaboration between JAHEAIK’s Islamic Family Law Division, PersatuanAspirasi Kelantan, and PersatuanPerantaraanPesakit Kelantan (SAHABAT). It was temporarily halted in 2020 due to pandemic restrictions.

In addition to the classes for LGBT individuals, the state government also runs the Al-Muttakin programme for those under surveillance for drug-related offences. MohdAsri highlighted these efforts in response to a query from Harun Ismail (PAS-Tawang) during the Kelantan state legislative assembly session. - Bernama

Source: thesun.my

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Islamic Religious Department probes e-Hati Marriage Course Over ‘Obscene Elements’,

23 Jul 2025

KEPALA BATAS, July 23 — The Selangor Islamic Religious Department (JAIS) is currently in the process of summoning the organisers of the e-Hati marriage motivation programme to record statements to assist in investigations into allegations that it contains obscene elements and dubious beliefs.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Dr MohdNa’im Mokhtar said JAIS has summoned several witnesses in relation to the case so far to assist in investigations being conducted under syariah crimes.

“The investigation into the case is still ongoing, so we are waiting for the results of the investigation and the investigation under the Penal Code which we have handed over to the police, but JAIS is also cooperating with the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) to see the progress (of the investigation).

“JAIS is also conducting an investigation under syariah crimes and JAIS is also calling witnesses to provide statements to assist in the investigation of the case,” he said.

He told reporters after officiating the Sinar Lestari Programme of the Islamic Economic Development Foundation of Malaysia (YAPEIM) in Penaga here which saw three heads of families received assistance to build their own new houses at the event.

Therefore, MohdNa’im said his party is waiting for a complete report from JAIS regarding the programme.

The public was shocked by the revelation of a social media user regarding the e-Hati motivational programme run by a married couple which is said to contain lewd elements and suspicious beliefs.

Following this, a married couple including the founder of the company known as eHati along with four other individuals were remanded for three days to assist in investigations into the organisation of the motivational programme.

Earlier, YAPEIM together with strategic partners helped build houses involving an allocation of RM240,000 for three beneficiaries in the B40 group from the eKasih list in Penang. — Bernama

Source: malaymail.com

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Employers must observe extra Malaysia Day holiday, says HR minister

23 Jul 2025

PUTRAJAYA, July 23 — Employers must comply with the declaration of Sept 15 as an additional public holiday in conjunction with this year’s Malaysia Day celebration, said Human Resources Minister Steven Sim Chee Keong.

He said employers could observe the additional public holiday and pay the regular salary, or instruct their employees to work and pay according to the public holiday rates.

“Employers can also opt to give a replacement holiday on another day if their employees are required to work on that public holiday.

“To ensure the implementation of the additional public holiday is fair and organised, the Department of Labour (JTK) is prepared to provide advisory services as well as answer any queries from employers and employees regarding the implementation of this additional public holiday,” he said in a statement today.

Sim said the Ministry of Human Resources (KESUMA) welcomes Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s announcement that Sept 15 will be designated as an additional public holiday in conjunction with the Malaysia Day celebration.

This announcement is good news for workers in the public and private sectors nationwide.

“This additional holiday allows all Malaysians to celebrate unity, strengthen the spirit of nationalism and appreciate the uniqueness of the formation of Malaysia as a multi-racial, multi-religious and multi-cultural country,” he said.

Sim also called on Malaysians to use the long holiday for recreation, thus promoting well-being among workers and stimulating economic activities, which in turn will have a positive impact on the local economy.

The implementation of the additional holiday is subject to provisions under Section 60D(1) of the Employment Act 1955 (Act 265) for Peninsular Malaysia and the Federal Territory of Labuan; the Sabah Labour Ordinance (Chapter 67), the Sarawak Labour Ordinance (Chapter 76) and the Holidays Act 1951 (Act 369) as the basis for the announcement of the official additional holiday by the Government.

Employers or employees requirin

Source: malaymail.com

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Ministers hail PM’s special announcement, say it’s all about the ‘rakyat’

23 Jul 2025

By Ida Lim

KUALA LUMPUR, July 23 — Several federal ministers today thanked Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for making a special announcement on a series of new government measures that will benefit Malaysians, including a one-off RM100 for all Malaysian adults and reduced RON95 petrol price.

The ministers said these measures show the federal government’s focus on the people of Malaysia and on reducing their financial burden.

Communications Minister Datuk FahmiFadzil expressed appreciation and thanked the prime minister for announcing these measures, which he said would provide relief to Malaysians and drive economic stability and economic growth, as well as strengthen the country’s fiscal resilience amid global uncertainties.

“This announcement proves the MADANI Government’s sensitivity towards the pulse of the ‘rakyat’, and commitment to reduce the burden through various forms of aid,” he said in a statement posted on his official Facebook page.

He said the government will balance the need to enhance the country’s financial position with the responsibility to take care of the public’s wellbeing.

Fahmi said the measures announced are the result of careful consideration and based on the principle of social justice and economic sustainability.

Separately, Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu said the measures showed a government that truly revolved around Malaysians.

“Since day one, that is our aspiration and direction, every sen spent, must be to uplift the dignity of the ‘rakyat’,” he said in a statement on his official Facebook page, having highlighted five of these measures.

Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zaliha Mustafa said “rakyat, rakyat, rakyat” was the tone of the prime minister’s announcement, adding that the government was committed to carrying out immediate steps to reduce Malaysians’ burden.

“Today’s announcement not only provides relief for millions of families, but also drives the country’s economic stability as a whole,” she said in a statement on her official Facebook page.

Among other things, she said the government will continue to ensure the public’s voices are heard and to prioritise their needs and continue to uplift their standard of living.

On her official Facebook page, Education Minister FadhlinaSidek said the initiatives announced by the prime minister would help ease Malaysians’ cost of living and also reflect Malaysia’s convincing economic growth.

Home Minister Datuk Seri SaifuddinNasution Ismail said Anwar previously could not fulfill his electoral promise to reduce fuel prices, as economic indicators were poor when he took over the government.

He listed those economic indicators as swelling debt, high inflation, high unemployment rates and relatively low foreign direct investment (FDI), and said Anwar needed time to fix all those indicators.

But SaifuddinNasution said Anwar is now able to fulfil that promise amid improved economic conditions for Malaysia.

“Today, with the inflation at 1.5 per cent, the highest FDI in history, the ringgit strengthening against the dollar - so all those economic indicators have already created a conducive environment for him today to gift back to the ‘rakyat’ in the form of reduced petrol price starting October with a six sen reduction,” he said at Parliament in an audio clip made available to the media.

”Therefore I believe that as a responsible leader, he not only fulfilled the promise, but took time to restore the economy as that is a precondition to any announcements that he wants to make,” he added.

SaifuddinNasution said Anwar had also focused on controlling leakages, preventing wastage and overspending, and anti-corruption messages, noting that this was aimed at improving the country’s financial position.

The minister said the RM100 one-off cash handout would be much appreciated by low-income groups who tend to spend more on food, and noted that this measure would also cause money to circulate within the domestic market and spur on the economy.

The minister said the freezing of highway toll hikes this year would help the public in terms of their cost of living, specifically transport costs.

Source:malaymail.com

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Study: Negative online messaging driving mental health crisis for Malaysia’s LGBT+

23 Jul 2025

By Kenneth Tee

KUALA LUMPUR, July 23 — A new study has found that frequent exposure to negative online messages is driving up depression, self-harm, and suicidal thoughts among LGBT+ individuals in Malaysia.

The study, titled “Exposure to negative LGBT-related media messages as a social determinant of mental health inequities for LGBT+ people in Malaysia,” said such messages often aim to indoctrinate the public with harmful ideology and ingrain anti-LGBT+ sentiments, particularly among those with limited or misinformed understanding of these issues.

From those surveyed, over three in four respondents reported seeing negative LGBT-related messages on social media “often” or “very often” over the past 12 months.

Regarding the nature of these messages, over 80 per cent of participants said the content depicted LGBT+ people as criminals or mentally disordered.

Furthermore, 71.7 per cent reported messages suggesting this group needed to be “treated” or advocating for increased legal punishment against them.

Impact on mental health

The study provides new insights into the mental health ramifications of such media exposure, identifying a path that involves negative expectations of societal rejection and police harassment.

“Our mediation analyses showed that negative LGBT-related messages on newspapers, TV, and social media (respectively can trigger fear in the anticipation of societal rejection, police harassment, and being labelled as mentally ill, all of which contribute to heightened risks of depression, non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), and suicidal ideation,” the study read.

It also found that this was consistent even after adjusting for various demographic factors.

However, the study did not detect a significant relationship between negative media exposure and actual suicide attempts.

Sources of negative messaging

Politicians and religious leaders were identified as the two most common sources of negative LGBT-related messages, cited by 87.1 per cent and 84.1 per cent of participants, respectively.

University lecturers and academic researchers were also noted as sources by a quarter of study participants (24.6 per cent).

The study comprised a sample of 757 participants aged 18 to 61 with varying sexual orientations and gender identities.

The findings come amid ongoing concerns about public discourse surrounding the LGBT+ community.

Most recently, a coalition of civil society groups urged Kelantan police to revise a statement regarding a raid on what was initially described as a “gay sex party” but was later clarified to be a health outreach event.

Media reports following the raid led to harmful and stigmatising remarks that intensified fear among LGBTQ individuals seeking health services.

Source: malaymail.com

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Africa

DSS, Army Rescue US-based Catholic Priest Kidnapped By Boko Haram Terrorists

July 22, 2025

By Richard Ogunsile

The Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigerian Army have reportedly rescued Reverend Father AlphonsusAfina, who was kidnapped by Boko Haram insurgents on June 1, 2025.

In a statement made available to the press on Tuesday, the Catholic Bishop of Maiduguri Diocese and Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Borno State, Most Rev. John Bakeni, expressed gratitude to security agencies for the successful rescue of the United States-based cleric.

Naija News understands that Father Afina, who served in Alaska, United States, from 2017 to 2024, was abducted alongside several other travellers on the Limankara-Gwoza road in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State.

Bakeni, while addressing journalists in Maiduguri on Tuesday, described the rescue operation as “a testament to the dedication of our security agencies.”

He said Father Afina and 10 women were freed on Monday following a coordinated operation by DSS operatives in Borno State, supported by troops of the Nigerian Army.

“We are grateful to the DSS and Nigerian Army for their bravery and professionalism. The Catholic community worldwide is overjoyed that Reverend Father Afina has returned safely after almost two months in the hands of insurgents,” Bishop Bakeni said.

Narrating the circumstances surrounding the abduction, the Bishop disclosed that Father Afina was on a journey from Mubi, Adamawa State, to Maiduguri, Borno State, when his convoy was ambushed at a military checkpoint.

“His vehicle was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade. One person died in the attack, and Father Afina, along with others, was taken away,” Bakeni explained.

Father Afina’s international exposure, particularly his long pastoral work in the United States, drew global attention to his disappearance.

Many within the Catholic Church across North America and Africa called for urgent intervention, raising pressure on security forces to act swiftly.

His abduction, linked to suspected Boko Haram insurgents, underscored the continued vulnerability of clerics and civilians in the North-East region despite ongoing military operations.

Zamfara Operation Rescues 32 More Victims

In a related development, the DSS in Zamfara State, with the backing of Nigerian Army personnel, also rescued 32 kidnap victims last week in Shinkafi Local Government Area.

According to a statement by the Zamfara State command, the operation followed “actionable intelligence” and was executed without casualties.

The successful operations in Borno and Zamfara highlight renewed inter-agency collaboration in the fight against banditry and insurgency.

Commenting on the development, Bishop Bakeni used the opportunity to call on government at all levels to prioritise the safety of Nigerians, especially in conflict-prone regions.

“While we thank the security agencies, we urge them not to relent. The roads must be safe. Our people are still at risk, and many more remain in captivity,” he said.

He also appealed for psychosocial support for the rescued victims, especially the women who, he noted, may have endured severe trauma while in captivity.

Father Afina, though yet to make a public statement, is said to be receiving medical care and undergoing debriefing. Church authorities say plans are underway for him to return to his pastoral duties once cleared by health professionals.

Meanwhile, Bishop Bakeni assured the faithful that the Church would continue to pray for peace and stability in Nigeria.

“This incident reminds us that evil may endure for a while, but it will never triumph. We must remain united, vigilant, and prayerful,” he said.

Source: naijanews.com

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Russia and Mozambique reaffirm defence cooperation after foreign ministers' meeting

July 22, 2025

Russia and Mozambique reaffirmed their defence relations during a visit from the African country’s foreign minister to Moscow on Tuesday.

Maria Manuela Lucas expressed concern over the ongoing war in Ukraine, but praised the "resilience" of the Russian people.

She said Mozambique had been following the situation "closely" and that her country "would very much like for this matter to be resolved in a peaceful way."

Lucas also stressed the war's impact on food security in Africa.

On Monday, Ukrainian President VolodymyrZelenskyy said in his evening address that there would be another round of talks between Russia and Ukraine on Wednesday.

Mozambique's foreign minister said she hoped the upcoming negotiations would be "successful."

Maria Manuela Lucas’ visit to Moscow also allowed her Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov to proclaim his country’s commitment to provide defence assistance to Mozambique.

"We have confirmed our readiness to consider all requests from our friends in Mozambique on issues related to the need to strengthen their defence capability, strengthen their potential in the anti-terrorist sphere", Lavrov said.

"Unfortunately, such threats in Mozambique and in other African countries in general remain."

Russia and Mozambique have intensified their military cooperation for several years.

The Mozambique government hired Russian mercenaries from the Wagner paramilitary group in 2019 to help fight a jihadist insurgency.

A 2020 German intelligence report found that Russia was planning to build a military base in the African country.

Source: africanews.com

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Arab League holds emergency meeting to discuss Gaza humanitarian crisis

July 22, 2025

Representatives of the Arab League held an emergency meeting in Cairo on Tuesday to discuss the war in Gaza and the unfolding humanitarian crisis inside the enclave.

Palestine requested the extraordinary session amid the escalating famine threatening the more than 2 million people living in Gaza.

"Gaza is dying of hunger, Gaza is planned to be [evacuated], a so-called humanitarian city is being prepared for Gaza, a new city of death and prison under humanitarian labels", said Ahmad Abu Holi, a member of the Palestine Liberation Organization's executive committee.

Abu Holi condemned the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which has largely taken over aid distribution in the enclave since the end of Israel's 11-week aid blockade.

He said the Israeli-backed group forces civilians to "fall in killing traps", or "die from hunger."

More than 1,000 starving people have been killed since the end of May, according to the United Nations Palestinian Refugees agency (UNRWA).

The UN food agency, meanwhile, accused Israeli forces of firing on a crowd of Palestinians seeking humanitarian aid over the weekend.

The Gaza Health Ministry called it one of the deadliest attacks on aid-seekers in the war that has driven the territory to the brink of famine.

Jordan's representative to the Arab League, Amjad Adaileh, said the Arab states "won't forget the steadfast Gaza whose people are bleeding, suffering and starving, due to the brutal and continuous violations against the [Gaza] Strip for 21 months."

Source: africanews.com

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Senate Approves Bill To Establish Oil And Gas Hospital

July 22, 2025

By Richard Ogunsile

The Senate has passed a bill seeking the establishment of the Federal Oil and Gas Hospital in Benikrukru, Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State.

The passage followed the presentation of a report by the Senate Committee on Health, led by Senator BanigoIpalibo Harry (PDP, Rivers), during plenary on Tuesday.

Presenting the report, Senator Harry explained that the proposed hospital, sponsored by Senator Joel-Onowakpo Thomas (APC, Delta South), is designed to provide critical medical services to oil and gas workers as well as host communities bearing the brunt of exploration activities.

She said the hospital would serve as a specialised centre for managing health hazards associated with oil production, including terminal diseases, cancers, and industrial injuries.

“The bill received overwhelming support from stakeholders during the public hearing,” she said, stressing that oil-producing communities and workers have long suffered from the health consequences of extractive activities.

According to the lawmaker, the lack of access to occupational health services has not only exposed workers and residents to avoidable health risks but has also contributed to growing discontent in the Niger Delta.

“This neglect has been a catalyst for agitations and disruptions in the region, which continue to undermine national development,” Senator Harry said.

She noted that Delta State remains one of the highest producers of crude oil in the country, hosting several multinational oil firms and servicing contractors.

“Locating this hospital in Benikrukru will strategically bridge a critical gap in the healthcare infrastructure for one of Nigeria’s most industrialised but health-burdened regions,” she added.

Senator Harry explained that the facility would provide 24-hour emergency services, occupational health treatment, and specialised care for oil-related ailments. It will also help reduce patient evacuation delays and improve rapid response to medical emergencies in isolated communities.

“The passage of this bill is not just about healthcare; it is about equity, justice, and national stability,” she declared, urging the Senate to support the bill in the interest of public health and national unity.

Following a clause-by-clause consideration of the bill, the Senate unanimously passed it.

With this development, the bill will be transmitted to the House of Representatives for concurrence before it is forwarded to the President for assent.

Source: naijanews.com

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Senate To Hold Special Session For Late President Buhari Wednesday

July 22, 2025

By Richard Ogunsile

The Senate will, on Wednesday, hold a special plenary session in honour of Nigeria’s former President, Muhammadu Buhari, who passed away on July 13, 2025, in London after a prolonged illness.

Naija News reports that the Red Chamber disclosed this on Tuesday, noting that the tribute session would reflect on the late president’s legacies and his contributions to Nigeria’s national development.

The announcement comes days after the Federal Executive Council held a similar event in Abuja.

During the FEC tribute held last Thursday, President Bola Tinubu hailed Buhari’s leadership style, describing him as a man who “led the country with restraint, governed with dignity, and bore the burdens of leadership without complaint.”

Recall that Buhari, Nigeria’s second-longest-serving leader, was buried in his hometown, Daura in Katsina State, last week, in a ceremony attended by dignitaries from within and outside the country.

He served as Nigeria’s civilian president between 2015 and 2023, and earlier as a military Head of State from 1983 to 1985.

No New States Have Been Created – Senate Declares

Meanwhile, the Senate on Tuesday dismissed viral social media claims suggesting that the Senate Committee on Constitution Review had approved the creation of new states.

Senate President, GodswillAkpabio, made the clarification on the floor of the Senate following a motion raised by Senator Abdul Ningi, who expressed concern over the spread of misleading reports.

Akpabio stated categorically that while over 42 proposals for state creation have been submitted, none has passed the rigorous legislative and constitutional requirements.

“I have seen over 42 proposals, but not one has gone through full deliberation. The process of creating a state is very rigorous and has not been completed in any instance,” Akpabio stated.

He further noted that some communities had already begun holding meetings on how to manage their “new states” based on unfounded social media information.

The Senate President urged the public to await official communication from the National Assembly on any constitutional amendments or related matters, stressing that only verified reports from the legislature should be relied upon.

Source: naijanews.com

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Mideast

UN urges peaceful settlement of disputes as UN chief points to ‘the horror show in Gaza’

July 23, 2025

UNITED NATIONS: The UN Security Council urged the 193 United Nations member nations on Tuesday to use all possible means to settle disputes peacefully. The UN chief said that is needed now more than ever as he pointed to “the horror show in Gaza” and conflicts in Ukraine, Sudan, Haiti and Myanmar.

The vote was unanimous on a Pakistan-drafted resolution in the 15-member council.

In urging greater efforts to pursue global peace, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the council: “Around the world, we see an utter disregard for — if not outright violations of — international law” as well as the UN Charter.

It is happening at a time of widening geopolitical divides and numerous conflicts, starting with Gaza, where “starvation is knocking on every door” as Israel denies the United Nations the space and safety to deliver aid and save Palestinian lives, Guterres said.

Israel denies deliberately targeting civilians and aid staff as part of its war with Hamas and blames UN agencies for failing to deliver food it has allowed in.

In conflicts worldwide, “hunger and displacement are at record levels” and security is pushed further out of reach by terrorism, violent extremism and transnational crime, the secretary-general said.

“Diplomacy may not have always succeeded in preventing conflicts, violence and instability,” Guterres said. “But it still holds the power to stop them.”

The resolution urges all countries to use the methods in the UN Charter to peacefully settle disputes, including negotiation, inquiry, mediation, conciliation, arbitration, judicial settlement, referral to regional arrangements or other peaceful means.

Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, who chaired the meeting, cited “the ongoing tragedies” in Gaza and between Pakistan and India over Kashmir, one of the oldest disputes on the UN agenda, that need to be resolved peacefully.

“At the heart of almost all the conflicts across the globe is a crisis of multilateralism; a failure, not of principles but of will; a paralysis, not of institutions but of political courage,” he said.

The Pakistani diplomat called for revitalizing trust in the UN system and ensuring “equal treatment of all conflicts based on international law, not geopolitical expediency.”

Acting US Ambassador Dorothy Shea said the Trump administration supports the United Nations’ founding principles of saving succeeding generations from the scourge of war and working with parties to resolve disputes peacefully.

Under President Donald Trump’s leadership, she said, the US has delivered “deescalation” between Israel and Iran, India and Pakistan, and Congo and Rwanda.

The US calls on countries involved in conflicts to follow these examples, Shea said, singling out the war in Ukraine and China’s “unlawful claims” in the South China Sea.

The war in Ukraine must end, she said, and Russia must stop attacking civilians and fulfill its obligations under the UN Charter, which requires all member nations to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of every other country.

“We call on other UN member states to stop providing Russia with the means to continue its aggression,” Shea said.

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Iran: 27 inmates are still at large following Israeli airstrike

July 22, 2025

TEHRAN, PARIS: Iran said on Tuesday 27 inmates were still at large after an Israeli airstrike last month targeted Evin prison in the north of the capital, Tehran, local media reported.

The airstrikes were part of Israel’s 12-day bombardment of Iran that killed about 1,100 people, while 28 were left dead in Israel in Iranian retaliatory strikes.

Judiciary’s news website, Mizanonline, quoted spokesman Asghar Jahangir as saying 75 prisoners had escaped following the strike, of which 48 were either recaptured or voluntarily returned. He said authorities will detain the others if they don’t hand themselves over.

Jahangir said the escapees were prisoners doing time for minor offenses.

Iranian officials said the Israeli strike killed 71 people, but local media reported earlier in July that 80 were left dead at the time, including prison staff, soldiers, inmates and visiting family members. Authorities also said five inmates died.

It’s unclear why Israel targeted the prison.

The New York-based Center for Human Rights had criticized Israel for striking the prison, saying it violated the principle of distinction between civilian and military targets.

Amnesty International, an international nongovernmental organization that campaigns to protect human rights, called the Israeli attack “deliberate” and “a serious violation of international humanitarian law.”

The air strikes should therefore be “criminally investigated as war crimes,” it said.

“The Israeli military carried out multiple air strikes on Evin prison, killing and injuring scores of civilians and causing extensive damage and destruction in at least six locations across the prison complex,” Amnesty said, basing its assessment on what it said were verified video footage, satellite images and witness statements.

There was nothing to suggest that Evin prison could justifiably be seen as a “legal military objective,” it said.

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How heritage defenders are rescuing Gaza’s artifacts, preserving cultural identity

July 22, 2025

LONDON: It is one of the more extraordinary and unexpected images to have emerged from the chaos and destruction in Gaza.

Two men, wearing high-visibility vests and stepping carefully through the rubble-strewn streets of Khan Younis, are carrying a priceless Roman-era pottery jar, supported between them on a folded carpet serving as a makeshift sling.

The incongruous photograph tells a story of hope and determination — hope that Palestine has a future, and determination that, whatever tomorrow might bring, the heritage of an entire people will not be destroyed.

The photograph was taken during the summer last year, when the men, members of the Heritage Guardians Team from the Khan Younis-based Mayasem Association for Culture and Arts, were taking part in the evacuation of thousands of artifacts from Al-Qarara Museum, which had been severely damaged in the fighting.

Today, thanks to emergency funding supplied by ALIPH, the International Alliance for the Protection of Heritage, those artefacts are stored in a relatively safe and secret place, in the hope that one day they can be returned to a restored museum.

The rescue of Palestine’s past is just one of 550 projects in 54 countries that have been funded by ALIPH since 2017.

The alliance was founded by France and the UAE at an international conference on heritage in danger, held in Abu Dhabi in December 2016 in the wake of widespread destruction of monuments, museums and heritage sites in conflict areas. Saudi Arabia was one of ALIPH’s founding members and remains one of its biggest contributors.

This month ALIPH announced additional funding of $16 million for 28 new projects supporting heritage in Gaza, Africa, Syria and Ukraine, bringing the total amount committed worldwide by the organization since 2017 to $116 million.

Much of that money has been spent on major projects, such as ALIPH’s response to the explosion in the port of Beirut in 2020. Since expanded to cover 37 individual projects — 26 of which have been completed — the commitment to Lebanon has reached $5.4 million.

ALIPH’s funding for Iraq, much of it in response to the destruction of multiple heritage sites by Daesh, has seen more than $31 million invested in 49 initiatives.

It began in 2018 with the massive project to rehabilitate the Mosul Museum, in which ALIPH invested $15.8 million in collaboration with the Louvre, the Smithsonian Institution, and the World Monuments Fund, working with local partners and Iraq’s State Board of Antiquities and Heritage.

ALIPH has also spent $3 million on 18 projects in Syria since 2019, working with 11 local operators to protect and restore archaeological sites, monuments, historic neighborhoods, museums and religious buildings.

The new program that ALIPH wants to implement in the coming months includes the rehabilitation of the Palmyra museum and its artifacts, and the stabilization of damaged monuments at the ancient site, where the destruction inflicted there by Daesh in 2015 was one of the key events that led to the alliance’s foundation.

But it is the much smaller sums invested in timely, emergency interventions, such as several funded by ALIPH in Gaza, that often have a disproportionately significant impact.

“We have quite a large number of small projects,” said ElkeSelter, ALIPH’s director of programs. “And a lot of these are acute emergencies, when you actually can’t spend large amounts of money and just need to pay for an evacuation, for boxes to move objects, for tarpaulins to cover a hole in a roof, or for wooden panels to put in front of broken windows.”

The cost of such interventions, which can make all the difference to the future of a heritage site, can be just a few thousand dollars.

Larger, general applications for funding can be made through the regular calls for projects that are advertised on ALIPH’s website — the current call, in partnership with the EU, is for projects in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, and closes on July 31.

But ALIPH is also open year-round to requests for emergency assistance grants, worth up to $75,000 each, for which applicants must submit a brief, precise proposal for interventions designed “to halt or prevent irremediable heritage degradation that cannot wait until the next call for projects.”

“I believe that our emergency response is one of ALIPH’s main strategic advantages,” said Selter.

“We do very important projects also, before and after emergencies, but there are many others doing that too. In terms of being actively present, and being able to provide funding within 48 hours, if needed, we’re alone.”

Part of the consideration of each emergency application is the risk posed to those on the ground.

With only a couple of dozen staff at headquarters in Geneva, ALIPH is “primarily a financial instrument, and so it’s not ALIPH that puts on its boots and its helmets and goes on site,” said Selter.

“But we work with local operators and provide funding to people on the ground who ask for it, and who are, at that moment, doing whatever they can to save heritage that is clearly important to them.

“These people are going to do it either way, so we can either help them, or not. And if you know that you’re one of the only ones that can help, I think there’s a duty to do so.”

ALIPH takes steps to ensure projects are as safe as possible.

“We try to do whatever we can in our power to make sure that the teams are as safe as they can possibly be, given the situations in which they work,” Selter added.

“In Gaza, for instance, we’ve put them in touch with UNMAS, the UN demining service, so that sites could first be checked.

“We stay in touch throughout a project, and in the particular case of Gaza we also make sure they understand that, for us, things like reporting deadlines are not essential.

“Of course, it’s important that the administration at some point is in order, but we don’t need them to risk their lives in order to send us a report within a deadline.”

In Gaza last year, ALIPH partnered with the Khan Younis-based Mayasem Association for Culture and Arts and teams from Al-Qarara Museum and The Palestinian Museum in Birzeit in the West Bank to inventory and evacuate Al-Qarara’s collection of more than 3,000 artefacts.

In April 2024, ALIPH also supported the urgent rescue from the rubble of surviving artifacts from the Rafah Museum, which, before it was almost completely destroyed by Israeli bombing, housed hundreds of objects related to Palestinian heritage, including a unique collection of traditional thobes.

ALIPH is currently supporting emergency protection and stabilization measures for the historic Qasr Al-Basha in Gaza, being undertaken by the Palestinian Center for Cultural Heritage Preservation.

Once the seat of Mamluk and Ottoman power, the palace became a museum in 2010, housing collections of the Palestinian Antiquities Department, before it was almost completely destroyed in 2023.

Equally devastated was Al-Omari Mosque in the heart of Gaza’s old city, which was built in 1149 and has been repeatedly damaged, most recently in December 2023. Almost all that remains intact is the building’s minaret.

ALIPH is supporting the Ramallah-based Palestinian NGO Riwaq, the Center for Architectural Conservation, which is carrying out emergency stabilization and documenting the destruction to support any future work.

In February this year, ALIPH funded a damage assessment and stabilizing built heritage workshop in Cairo.

Run by the Egyptian Foundation for Heritage Rescue and the Center for Cultural Heritage Preservation of Bethlehem, it has prepared 20 Palestinian heritage professionals to form teams and intervene in Gaza as soon as the situation allows.

More than 60 heritage professionals from Gaza, the West Bank and Cairo also attended an ALIPH-funded online course on risk management and undertaking emergency cultural heritage protection measures.

“We were really surprised that we had more than 60 participants,” said project manager Gala-Alexa Amagat.

“Something we see in every conflict we work in is that people attach such importance to preserving the heritage that they have.

“A lot of the people in Gaza who attended actually walked very far every morning to get to a place where they could get a connection and connect to that training, which was completely beyond what we expected.”

ALIPH relies on the generosity of donors, including nine member countries, public donors such as the EU, and private individuals and philanthropic foundations. Its next donor conference will be held in Abu Dhabi at the end of next year.

“Of course, the funding landscape is under serious pressure,” said Selter.

“But on the other hand, after eight years, ALIPH is becoming better known, which makes funding a bit easier. People know us now, and those who were hesitant at the beginning can see that we have delivered.

“We hope that our donors will remain committed and that they’re happy with the results that we’ve delivered.”

Ultimately, those results stand as a testament to the dedication of thousands of individuals around the world, from South America in the west to Indonesia in the east, many of whom are working in dangerous circumstances.

“The past belongs to all of us, and it is vital to protect our heritage to build a shared future,” said Valery Freland, ALIPH’s executive director.

“We are much more than just a funder. But the real heroes are our partners on the ground, who often face great challenges, but are committed to protecting the world’s heritage.”

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Clearing Gaza war rubble could release 90K tonnes of greenhouse gases: study

July 22, 2025

LONDON: Rubble in Gaza caused by Israeli bombardment could cause more than 90,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions, a study has suggested.

Research using open-source data published in the journal Environmental Research: Infrastructure and Sustainability suggested that about 39 million tonnes of concrete debris had been created between the start of the war in October 2023 to December a year later.

It added that 2.1 million truck journeys spanning a total of 29.5 million km would be needed to move it, generating about 66,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions.

Researchers at the universities of Oxford and Edinburgh based their findings on two scenarios, one which assumed 80 percent of the debris was viable for crushing, which with a fleet of 50 industrial machines would take more than half a year and add a further 2,976 tonnes of CO2 emissions.

Using the same number of local, smaller crushers could take up to 37 years to complete the task, and generate 25,149 tonnes.

The longer the task took, the researchers said, the more additional emissions would be produced, adding that the model did not account for additional emissions caused by other substances left in the enclave such as asbestos, as well as unexploded ordnance.

It is believed that about 90 percent of homes in Gaza, as well as a significant proportion of its infrastructure, have been destroyed by Israeli strikes.

“The CO2 emissions from clearing and processing the rubble may seem small compared to the total climate cost of the destruction in Gaza, but our micro-focus unpacks the labor and work required to even begin the process of reconstruction,” said SamerAbdelnour, the study’s lead author and senior lecturer in strategic management at the University of Edinburgh Business School.

“While filling the military emissions gap is important, our work can also support Palestinian policymakers, civil engineers, planners and other workers on the ground who are determined to reclaim what was lost, stay on the land and rebuild.”

Nicholas Roy, a statistical science student at Oxford University and co-author of the study, said: “Looking ahead, finer spatial and temporal resolution of satellite images, advances in deep learning for building and damage classification, and methods that integrate information from different perspectives — such as street-level cellphone footage and top-down satellite images — open new opportunities to estimate military emissions across different scopes and better understand the true climate cost of war.”

The carbon footprint of global military activity is estimated at about 5.5 percent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions — more than civil aviation and international shipping combined. The Gulf region in particular is uniquely vulnerable to the effects of climate change.

Ben Neimark, a senior lecturer at Queen Mary University of London investigating the climate impact of Israeli military activity, told The Guardian: “The methodological focus on debris is cutting-edge work, highlighting often-missed environmental damage left by militaries after the war is over. It provides a fresh look at the daily images of bombed-out buildings and rubble from Gaza, rather than seeing them as longer-term climate impacts of war.”

In June, Neimark’s work estimated that the impacts of Israel’s war in Gaza could release more than 31 million tonnes of CO2.

Stuart Parkinson, executive director of Scientists for Global Responsibility, told The Guardian: “Militaries and war are large and hidden contributors to the climate crisis … it is important to include the full range of activities from production of the military equipment to fuel use during warfighting, from the damage to carbon stores like forests to cleanup efforts and reconstruction following the end of the war. This study adds to this bigger picture of war-related emissions.”

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EU tells Israel to stop killing Gazans at aid points

July 22, 2025

BRUSSELS: EU foreign policy chief KajaKallas told her Israeli counterpart Tuesday that Israel’s military “must stop” killing civilians at aid distribution points in Gaza.

Kallas wrote on X that “the killing of civilians seeking aid in Gaza is indefensible.”

“I spoke again with Gideon Saar to recall our understanding on aid flow and made clear that IDF must stop killing people at distribution points,” she wrote.

The European Union early this month said it had struck a deal with Israel to allow more access into Gaza amid Israel’s devastating military operation.

Kallas has laid out a series of actions that EU states could take against Israel unless the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza improves.

“All options remain on the table if Israel doesn’t deliver on its pledges,” Kallas wrote in a post on X.

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen joined the calls by saying “civilians cannot be targets. Never.”

“The images from Gaza are unbearable,” von der Leyen wrote.

“Civilians in Gaza have suffered too much, for too long. It must stop now. Israel must deliver on its pledges.”

In Geneva on Tuesday, the UN said Israeli forces have killed over 1,000 Palestinians trying to get food aid in Gaza since the US- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation started operations.

An officially private effort, the GHF began operations on May 26 after Israel halted supplies into the Gaza Strip for more than two months, sparking famine warnings.

GHF operations have been marred by chaotic scenes and near-daily reports of Israeli forces firing on people waiting to collect rations in the Palestinian territory, where the Israeli military is seeking to destroy Hamas.

“Over 1,000 Palestinians have now been killed by the Israeli military while trying to get food in Gaza since the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation started operating,” UN human rights office spokesman Thameen Al-Kheetan said.

“As of July 21, we have recorded 1,054 people killed in Gaza while trying to get food; 766 of them were killed in the vicinity of GHF sites and 288 near UN and other humanitarian organizations’ aid convoys.”

Kheetan added: “Our data is based on information from multiple reliable sources on the ground, including medical teams, humanitarian and human rights organizations.”

GHF says it has distributed more than 1.4 million boxes of foodstuffs to date.

“We’re adjusting our operations in real time to keep people safe and informed, and we stand ready to partner with other organizations to scale up and deliver more meals to the people of Gaza,” GHF interim director John Acree said Monday.

The United Nations and major aid groups have refused to cooperate with the GHF over concerns it was designed to cater to Israeli military objectives and violates basic humanitarian principles.

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Israeli far right discusses Gaza ‘riviera’ plans

July 22, 2025

JERUSALEM: Some Israeli far-right leaders held a public meeting on Tuesday to discuss redeveloping the Gaza Strip into a tourist-friendly “riviera,” as Palestinians face a worsening humanitarian crisis in the devastated territory.

The meeting, titled “The Riviera in Gaza: From Vision to Reality,” was held in the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, under the auspices of some of its most hard-line members.

It saw the participation of firebrand Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, as well as activist Daniella Weiss, a vocal proponent of Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip, among others.

The name of the event evokes a proposal floated by US President Donald Trump in February to turn the war-ravaged territory into “the Riviera of the Middle East” after moving out its Palestinian residents and putting it under American control.

The idea drew swift condemnation from across the Arab world, and from Palestinians themselves, for whom any effort to force them off their land would recall the “Nakba,” or catastrophe — the mass displacement of Palestinians during Israel’s creation in 1948.

Participants in Tuesday’s Knesset meeting discussed a “master plan” drafted by Weiss’s organization to re-establish a permanent Jewish presence in Gaza.

The detailed plan foresees the construction of housing for 1.2 million new Jewish residents, and the development of industrial and agricultural zones, as well as tourism complexes on the coast.

Eight Israeli settlements located in various parts of the Gaza Strip were dismantled in 2005 as part of Israel’s unilateral decision to “disengage” from Gaza following years of violence between settlers, Palestinian armed groups and the army.

For the past two decades, a small but vocal section of Israeli society has urged the resettlement of the Strip.

Those voices have become louder after Palestinian militant group Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, with advocates presenting resettlement as a way to maintain tighter security control over the area.

The October 7 attack resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.

Israel’s ensuing military campaign in Gaza has killed 59,106 Palestinians, also mostly civilians, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory.

Meanwhile, the humanitarian crisis in the Strip has reached catastrophic proportions after 21 months of conflict and a two-month aid blockade imposed by Israel.

Israel began easing the blockade in late May, but extreme scarcities of food and other essentials persist, and cases of malnutrition and starvation are becoming increasingly frequent, according to local authorities, NGOs and AFP journalists on the ground.

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No aid supplies left and staff are starving in Gaza, says Norwegian Refugee Council

July 22, 2025

GENEVA: The Norwegian Refugee Council told Reuters on Tuesday its aid stocks are completely depleted in Gaza, with some of its staff now starving, and accused Israel of paralysing its work.

“Our last tent, our last food parcel, our last relief items have been distributed. There is nothing left,” Jan Egeland, the secretary general of the council told Reuters in an interview via video link from Oslo. The council’s comments echo those made earlier on Tuesday by the head of the Palestinian refugee agency, who said UNRWA’s staff were fainting on the job from hunger and exhaustion.

The NRC says that for the last 145 days it has not been able to get its hundreds of truckloads containing tents, water, sanitation, food and education materials into Gaza.

“Hundreds of truckloads have been sitting in warehouses or in Egypt or elsewhere, and costing our Western European donors a lot of money, but they are blocked from coming in… That’s why we are so angry. Because our job is to help,” Egeland said.

“Israel is not yielding. They just want to paralyze our work,” he added. The NRC has 64 Palestinian and two international staff on the ground in Gaza. On Sunday the NRC had to move 33 of its staff out of Deir al Balah following Israeli evacuation warnings.

The NRC said its supplies of safe drinking water, which have reached 100,000 people in central and northern parts of Gaza in recent weeks, are also running out, as fuel availability to run desalination plants reaches its limit.

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Jordan’s king, Canada’s PM discuss Syria, Gaza and aid

July 22, 2025

LONDON: King Abdullah of Jordan met with Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney on Monday in Ottawa for talks which included the situation in Syria and Gaza.

Carney, who met with King Abdullah for the first time since taking office in March, also announced that Canada would allocate $28.4 million to support Jordan.

The funding is for education, health and job creation, in addition to bolstering Jordan’s defense and security to combat terrorism and cross-border crime, the Petra news agency reported.

King Abdullah acknowledged Canada’s support for Jordan’s development, emphasizing the need to enhance investment and collaboration in trade, education, and healthcare.

He also emphasized Canada’s crucial role as a partner with Jordan in fostering peace and stability in the Middle East, and praised the country’s support for humanitarian efforts in Gaza.

The leaders called on Israel to ends its war on Gaza and ensure the flow of humanitarian aid to civilians in the territory.

King Abdullah also called for end to the violence of Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank; and for the international community to support the creation of a Palestinian state.

In addition, he reaffirmed Jordan’s support for Syria’s security, stability, and territorial integrity.

Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, Director of the Office of His Majesty AlaaBatayneh, Jordan’s Ambassador to Canada Sabah Al-Rafie, and Canadian officials attended the meeting.

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Syria identifies 298 suspects in Alawite heartland killings

July 22, 2025

DAMASCUS: A Syrian committee investigating sectarian violence in the country’s Alawite heartland said Tuesday it identified 298 suspects implicated in serious violations that left at least 1,426 Alawites dead in March.

The violence unfolded over three days in early March on Syria’s predominantly Alawite coast, where government forces and allied groups were accused of carrying out summary executions, mostly targeting Alawite civilians.

“The committee identified 298 individuals by name, who were involved,” spokesman Yasser Al-Farhan told a press conference in Damascus, describing the figure as provisional.

He said two lists of suspects had been referred to the judiciary.

The committee documented “serious violations against civilians on March 7, 8 and 9, including murder, premeditated murder, looting, destruction and burning of homes, torture and sectarian insults.”

It confirmed the names of 1,426 dead, including 90 women, with most of the rest being civilians from the Alawite community.

Authorities have accused gunmen loyal to former president Bashar Assad, an Alawite, of instigating the violence, launching deadly attacks that killed dozens of security forces personnel.

Damascus sent military reinforcements to the region after the attacks.

The committee said 238 army and security force personnel were killed in the attacks in the provinces of Tartus, Latakia and Hama.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor reported the deaths of more than 1,700 people, mostly Alawite civilians.

According to human rights and international organizations, entire families were killed in the violence including women, children, and the elderly.

Gunmen stormed homes and asked their residents whether they were Alawite or Sunni before killing or sparing them, they said.

Amnesty International has urged Syria to publish the full results of the investigation and ensure those responsible are held accountable.

On Sunday, the presidency said Syrian leader Ahmed Al-Sharaa had received the committee’s report on July 13, the same day sectarian violence erupted in the Druze heartland of Sweida, killing more than 1,200 people according to the Observatory.

The bouts of violence have raised questions over the authorities’ ability to manage sectarian tensions and maintain security, more than seven months after Islamists overthrew Assad, who long presented himself as a protector of minorities.

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UN says Israeli military killed over 1,000 seeking Gaza aid since late May

July 22, 2025

GENEVA: The UN on Tuesday said Israeli forces have killed over 1,000 Palestinians trying to get food aid in Gaza since the US- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation started operations.

An officially private effort, the GHF began operations on May 26 after Israel halted supplies into the Gaza Strip for more than two months, sparking famine warnings.

Kheetan added: “Our data is based on information from multiple reliable sources on the ground, including medical teams, humanitarian and human rights organizations.”

The war in Gaza, sparked by militant group Hamas’s deadly attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, has created dire humanitarian conditions for the more than two million people who live in the coastal territory.

Gaza’s population faces severe shortages of food and other essentials.

GHF says it has distributed more than 1.4 million boxes of foodstuffs to date.

The United Nations and major aid groups have refused to cooperate with the GHF over concerns it was designed to cater to Israeli military objectives and violates basic humanitarian principles.

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South Asia

Afghan Journalists Face Dire Conditions in Iran and Pakistan, Warns Group

Jul 22, 2025

By Fidel Rahmati

The Afghanistan Journalists Support Organization warns that Afghan journalists in Iran and Pakistan face dire conditions, including threats, arrests, and lack of basic services.

The Afghanistan Journalists Support Organization has issued a stark warning about the worsening conditions faced by Afghan journalists in Iran and Pakistan, describing their situation as “dire” and “disastrous.”

Many of these journalists fled Afghanistan due to threats, censorship, and persecution under Taliban rule. However, they now face serious risks to their safety and dignity in host countries, including arbitrary arrest, forced deportation, and denial of basic services.

In Pakistan, the suspension of visa renewals has left many Afghan journalists in legal limbo, exposing them to potential police detention and deportation. Others report similar difficulties in Iran, where access to essential services is limited or denied.

The organization urged international bodies to take urgent action. It called on the United Nations, the European Union, Reporters Without Borders, and Western governments to accelerate asylum processes and offer immediate support.

These warnings come amid broader crackdowns on Afghan refugees in both countries, with many journalists also suffering from worsening economic conditions and lack of protection.

The organization stressed that silence from the global community would only worsen the humanitarian crisis. Without swift intervention, the lives and freedoms of these journalists remain gravely at risk, along with the broader principle of press freedom.

Source: khaama.com

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UN Allocates $10 Million to Aid Vulnerable Afghan Returnees from Iran

Jul 22, 2025

The UN has dedicated $10 million to protect vulnerable Afghan returnees from Iran, addressing urgent needs and preventing exploitation at the borders.

Tom Fletcher, Deputy UN Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, announced on Tuesday that the UN Emergency Relief Fund is allocating $10 million to support Afghan migrants returning from Iran.

This funding targets the most vulnerable returnees, aiming to protect them from abuse and exploitation as they face harsh conditions at border crossings.

Thousands of Afghan migrants are expelled daily from Iran and left stranded without adequate shelter, healthcare, or food, exacerbating their humanitarian crisis.

Earlier, the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) urged for increased funding to improve aid for returnees struggling with limited resources and services.

Returnees from both Iran and Pakistan confront severe shortages of essential support, making international humanitarian assistance critical to their survival.

The newly allocated funds will help provide vital protection and essential services to facilitate the safe reintegration of Afghan returnees into their communities.

Humanitarian agencies continue to call for increased global support to address the growing needs of displaced Afghans amid ongoing regional instability.

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Afghanistan, Yemen Discuss Strengthening Cultural Cooperation

22 Jul 2025

KABUL(BNA): Qari Hamidullah Tamkin, the Cultural Attaché of Afghanistan’s Ministry of Information and Culture in Turkey, met with Mohammed Saleh Turaik, the Ambassador of the Republic of Yemen, in Ankara.

The two sides discussed shared cultural characteristics between Afghanistan and Yemen, and explored ways to further expand and strengthen bilateral cultural cooperation.

The Yemeni ambassador praised the progress and achievements of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and expressed hope that Afghanistan would become a self-reliant, prosperous, and developed nation on both regional and global levels.

He also voiced concern over the situation in Palestine—particularly in Gaza—and emphasized the importance of unity and solidarity among the Muslim Ummah.

At the end of the meeting, Ambassador Turaik assured full cooperation with the Afghan embassy in promoting common cultural and historical values.

Source: bakhtarnews.af

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Team of doctors from Singapore to assess burn victims: CMH commandant

Jul 23, 2025

A medical team from Singapore is scheduled to arrive in Dhaka to assess burn victims of the tragic fighter jet crash at Milestone School and College in Uttara's Diabari of Dhaka.

Brig Gen SM Solaiman, commandant of the Combined Military Hospital, Dhaka, disclosed the updates at a press briefing at the hospital yesterday.

Quoting health secretary and special assistant to the chief adviser for the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (with the status of state minister), the commandant said the team will visit the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery to evaluate whether any of the critically injured patients should be sent abroad for treatment.

"After consultation with the head of our burn unit, we have decided to send two patients to the burn institute so they can be evaluated by the Singapore team. They will decide whether the patients can be treated here with their help or need to be sent abroad," he said. The team was scheduled to reach Dhaka last night.

The commandant expressed concern over six patients currently being treated at CMH's Burn ICU, including two children and two teachers.

"These cases are critical, especially the one child with 52% burns. Burn victims typically face the highest risk of complications within the third to fourth day of injury, especially infections and fluid loss, which can affect kidney function," he explained.

Despite the challenges, Solaiman said the hospital is maintaining high-level burn care and closely monitoring all patients. "Outcomes in burn cases are unpredictable, but we are doing everything in our power with the resources and skills we have," he added.

PILOT DECLARED DEAD AFTER PROTOCOL

Brig Gen Solaiman also clarified the circumstances regarding the air force pilot involved in the crash. Though the pilot was initially treated as deceased at the crash site, CMH followed full medical protocol upon receiving the body, he said.

"I personally received the pilot. Though there were no signs of life, we conducted CPR and life-saving measures for about 40 minutes. As per medical protocol, we must try for at least 30 minutes before officially declaring death," he said, stressing that the pilot was declared "brought in dead" after all efforts failed.

According to the CMH commandant, the hospital received a total of 15 bodies, including 12 directly received by CMH (among them the pilot), two from Kurmitola General Hospital, and one from Uttara Aduhink Hospital.

"Of these, nine bodies have been handed over to families after identification. The remaining six were unidentifiable and sent to Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College for DNA testing and post-mortem," he said.

A few fragmented body parts were also recovered and handed over to police for preservation and future identification, if needed, said the commandant.

In total, 28 injured patients were admitted to CMH following the incident. Five of them, with minor injuries, were discharged after overnight observation. Among the 23 remaining, six are in Burn ICU, seven in general ward, and ten in post-operative care.

Most of the patients were military personnel, including soldiers, a firefighter, and a police sub-inspector. Some were injured during rescue operations or from minor inhalation injuries, according to the commandant.

"Many of the patients had minor trauma or panic symptoms. We're observing them and expect more to be discharged in the next couple of days," he added.

Addressing rumours circulating on social media, the CMH commandant said: "We received and documented all deceased and injured. Our death count and patient list are fully verifiable, and I take full responsibility for their accuracy. Any speculation contrary to this is baseless."

He emphasised the importance of relying on verified sources for updates, especially during such sensitive national emergencies.

Source:.thedailystar.net

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Bamyan Inaugurates Refugee Accommodation Center

Jul 23, 2025

BAMYAN(BNA): The Bamyan Provincial Authority officially opened a new center in the provincial capital dedicated to accommodating returning refugees.

Mohammad Khan Ghazi, a representative of the Bamyan Governor’s Office, shared details with the Bakhtar News Agency about the center’s facilities. Equipped with furnished rooms, reliable water and electricity systems, modern bathrooms, a well-equipped kitchen, and provision of three daily meals, the center offers comprehensive support for refugees at no cost.

Ghazi emphasized that preparations have been made to address the unique challenges faced by returnees. Relevant government departments are collaborating closely with both national and international aid organizations to ensure timely and effective assistance for these individuals.

Initially, homeless returning refugees will be transferred to the accommodation center by the Refugee Situation Response Committee. Following their registration with the Department of Refugees and Repatriation of Bamyan, those from various districts will be provided free transportation back to their original homes.

The center features over 20 equipped bedrooms and, in addition to temporary shelter, offers food assistance, non-food items, and cash support to assist ease the transition for returning refugees.

Source: bakhtarnews.af

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Foreign Minister Discusses Unity with MWL Top Official

Jul 22, 2025

KABUL(BNA): In a meeting held on Monday in Kabul, Mawlavi Amir Khan Muttaqi, Afghanistan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, engaged with Sheikh Dr. Mohammad bin Abdul Karim Al-Issa, the Secretary General of the Muslim WorldLeague (MWL).

The discussions, as reported by the Bakhtar News Agency, centered around the pressing need for enhanced coordination and cooperation among Islamic countries. Mawlavi Muttaqi highlighted the recent developments in Afghanistan, underscoring the importance of unity within the Islamic world.

During the meeting, the Afghanistan Foreign Minister praised the general amnesty declared by the Honorable Amir al-Muminin, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, describing it as a crucial step towards strengthening security and stability. He also noted ongoing reforms in religious and spiritual domains as significant achievements of the current administration.

Sheikh Al-Issa acknowledged the unique position Afghanistan holds in the Islamic world, emphasizing the necessity for regular ties between the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and the Muslim World League.

Source: bakhtarnews.af

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North America

US targets Houthis with fresh sanctions

July 22, 2025

WASHINGTON: The US on Tuesday imposed sanctions on what it said was a Houthi-linked petroleum smuggling and sanctions evasion network across Yemen in fresh action targeting the militant group.

The US Treasury Department in a statement said the two individuals and five entities sanctioned were among the most significant importers of petroleum products and money launderers that benefit the Houthis.

“The Houthis collaborate with opportunistic businessmen to reap enormous profits from the importation of petroleum products and to enable the group’s access to the international financial system,” said Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Michael Faulkender.

“These networks of shady businesses underpin the Houthis’ terrorist machine, and Treasury will use all tools at its disposal to disrupt these schemes.”

Among those targeted was Muhammad Al-Sunaydar, who the Treasury said manages a network of petroleum companies and was one of the most prominent petroleum importers in Yemen.

Three companies in his network were also designated, with the Treasury saying they coordinated the delivery of $12 million worth of petroleum products with a US-designated company to the Houthis.

Since Israel’s war in Gaza began in October 2023, the Houthis have been attacking vessels in the Red Sea in acts of solidarity with the Palestinians.

In January, the US re-designated the Houthi movement as a foreign terrorist organization, aiming to impose harsher economic penalties in response to its attacks on ships.

Source: arabnews.com

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US envoy urges Syria’s Sharaa to revise policy or risk fragmentation

July 22, 2025

BEIRUT: A US envoy has urged Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa to recalibrate his policies and embrace a more inclusive approach after a new round of sectarian bloodshed last week, or risk losing international support and fragmenting the country.

US envoy to Syria Thomas Barrack said he had advised Sharaa in private discussions to revisit elements of the pre-war army structure, scale back Islamist indoctrination and seek regional security assistance.

In an interview in Beirut, Barrack told Reuters that without swift change, Sharaa risks losing the momentum that once propelled him to power.

Sharaa should say: “I’m going to adapt quickly, because if I don’t adapt quickly, I’m going to lose the energy of the universe that was behind me,” Barrack said. He said Sharaa could “grow up as a president and say, ‘the right thing for me to do is not to follow my theme, which isn’t working so well.’“

Sharaa, leader of a former Al-Qaeda offshoot, came to power in Syria after fighters he led brought down President Bashar Assad in December last year after more than 13 years of civil war.

Though his own fighters have roots in Sunni Muslim militancy, Sharaa has promised to protect members of Syria’s many sectarian minorities. But that pledge has been challenged, first by mass killings of members of Assad’s Alawite sect in March, and now by the latest violence in the southwest.

Hundreds of people have been reported killed in clashes in the southern province of Sweida between Druze fighters, Sunni Bedouin tribes and Sharaa’s own forces. Israel intervened with airstrikes to prevent what it said was mass killing of Druze by government forces.

Barrack said the new government should consider being “more inclusive quicker” when it comes to integrating minorities into the ruling structure.

But he also pushed back against reports that Syrian security forces were responsible for violations against Druze civilians. He suggested that Daesh group militants may have been disguised in government uniforms and that social media videos are easily doctored and therefore unreliable.

“The Syrian troops haven’t gone into the city. These atrocities that are happening are not happening by the Syrian regime troops. They’re not even in the city because they agreed with Israel that they would not go in,” he said.

“No successor” to Sharaa

The US helped broker a ceasefire last week that brought an end to the fighting, which erupted between Bedouin tribal fighters and Druze factions on July 13.

Barrack said the stakes in Syria are dangerously high, with no succession plan or viable alternative to the country’s new government.

“With this Syrian regime, there is no plan B. If this Syrian regime fails, somebody is trying to instigate it to fail,” Barrack said. “For what purpose? There’s no successor.”

Asked if Syria could follow the dire scenarios of Libya and Afghanistan, he said: “Yes, or even worse.”

The US has said it did not support Israel’s airstrikes on Syria. Barrack said the strikes had added to the “confusion” in Syria.

Israel says Syria’s new rulers are dangerous militants, and has vowed to keep government troops out of the southwest and protect Syria’s Druze minority in the area, encouraged by calls from Israel’s own Druze community.

Barrack said his message to Israel is to have dialogue to alleviate their concerns about Syria’s new Sunni leaders and that the US could play the role of an “honest intermediary” to help resolve any concerns.

He said Sharaa had signaled from the beginning of his rule that Israel was not his enemy and that he could normalize ties in due time.

He said the United States was not dictating what the political format of Syria should be, other than stability, unity, fairness and inclusion.

“If they end up with a federalist government, that’s their determination. And the answer to the question is, everybody may now need to adapt.”

Source: arabnews.com

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CAIR-CA to Hold 19th Annual Muslim Youth Leadership Program in Sacramento

July 22, 2025

From July 23 through July 26, the California chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-CA), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, will hold its 19th annual Muslim Youth Leadership Program (MYLP) at the State Capitol in Sacramento.

MYLP is an intensive four-day program designed to empower Muslim high school students with the knowledge and skills to become future leaders in government, law, and media.

This year’s program will bring together 35 Muslim high school students, selected from a competitive statewide pool, to participate in workshops on community organizing, leadership development, and public speaking.

Students will also take part in a mock committee hearing—where they’ll examine proposed bills, deliver testimony, and debate their merits—followed by a mock Assembly session simulating floor debate and voting. Together, these experiences offer a hands-on understanding of how state laws are shaped and passed.

In a statement, CAIR-CA Legislative and Government Affairs Director OussamaMokeddem said:

“MYLP equips Muslim youth with the tools they need to navigate and influence the systems that shape our lives. By demystifying the legislative process and grounding students in the values of civic responsibility and justice, we’re not just building future leaders, we’re cultivating a generation ready to speak truth to power.”

Since its inception in 2005, over 600 California students have participated in MYLP. The program boasts alumni who have been accepted to elite universities, such as Harvard, Stanford, Cornell, John Hopkins, UC Berkeley, and UCLA, with many going on to elected office. Graduates have also become community activists, who have created non-profit organizations and taken on groundbreaking leadership positions.

CAIR-CA is a chapter of CAIR, America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.

Source: cair.com

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Obama blasts 'bizarre' Trump claim of 2016 election 'treason'

July 23, 2025

Max Matza

Donald Trump has accused Barack Obama of "treason", claiming he plotted to sabotage his first presidency by linking him to alleged Russian election meddling.

"They tried to steal the election," Trump said at the White House as he claimed Obama had sought to undermine his 2016 victory over Hillary Clinton.

A spokesman for Obama issued a rare retort, calling Trump's attack "a weak attempt at distraction".

Trump was referring to a report from US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard last week that accused Obama and his national security team of a "years-long coup against President Trump" - findings that Democrats have branded false.

Trump's comments on Tuesday came as he faced questions from reporters about late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who killed himself in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial.

The president's administration has been under pressure to release more information about the well-connected convicted paedophile.

"The witch hunt that you should be talking about is they caught President Obama absolutely cold," Trump told reporters.

"It's time to go after people, Obama's been caught directly," he added.

"He's guilty. This was treason. This was every word you can think of," Trump said.

His comments came as he hosted Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr in the Oval Office.

Obama spokesman Patrick Rodenbush said: "Out of respect for the office of the presidency, our office does not normally dignify the constant nonsense and misinformation flowing out of this White House with a response.

"But these claims are outrageous enough to merit one. These bizarre allegations are ridiculous and a weak attempt at distraction."

Friday's report from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence declassified emails between Obama aides, and argued they had suppressed intelligence findings that Russia had failed in probing attempts to hack US election databases.

A declassified copy of the president's daily briefing prepared by US security service chiefs for Obama weeks after Trump beat Clinton and dated 8 December 2016 said: "We assess that Russian and criminal actors did not impact recent US election results by conducting malicious cyber activities against election infrastructure."

But the FBI dissented from the findings it had initially co-authored, and a meeting was held at the White House a day later with top officials, according to the report.

Afterwards an aide to then-Director of National Intelligence James Clapper emailed intelligence chiefs asking them to create a new assessment "per the president's request" detailing the "tools Moscow used and actions it took to influence the 2016 election".

Gabbard argued the emails showed evidence of a "treasonous conspiracy" to harm Trump, and she threatened to refer Obama administration officials to the justice department for prosecution.

But Obama's spokesman said in his statement on Tuesday: "Nothing in the document issued last week undercuts the widely accepted conclusion that Russia worked to influence the 2016 presidential election but did not successfully manipulate any votes."

The US intelligence community published an assessment in January 2017 concluding that Russia had sought to damage Clinton's campaign and boost Trump in the vote three months earlier.

US officials found this effort had included Russian bot farms on social media and hacking of Democratic emails, but they ultimately concluded the impact was probably limited and did not actually change the election result.

A 2020 bipartisan report by the Senate intelligence committee also found that Russia had tried to help Trump's 2016 campaign.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who was a senator at the time, was among the Republicans who co-signed that report.

The first two years of Trump's first presidency were overshadowed by an investigation from his own justice department into whether he had conspired with Russia to sway the 2016 outcome.

The resulting Mueller report found a lack of evidence that Trump or his campaign co-ordinated with the Kremlin, and no-one was ever charged with such crimes.

A subsequent special counsel inquiry, the Durham report, found the original FBI probe had lacked "analytical rigor" and relied on "raw, unanalysed and uncorroborated intelligence".

Source: bbc.com

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https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cedgqnp897lo

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Hunter Biden lashes out at George Clooney over father's 2024 election exit

Mike Wendling

July 23, 2025

Hunter Biden has reacted angrily towards actor George Clooney for questioning his father's mental sharpness during the 2024 election race - an intervention that led to Joe Biden dropping out.

In an expletive-filled interview with the YouTube outlet Channel 5 with Andrew Callaghan, the younger Biden accused Clooney of exaggerating the former president's frailty.

After meeting Biden at an LA fundraising event last summer, Clooney became one of the first major Democratic figures to call on Joe Biden to drop out of the race.

Less than a fortnight later, the elder Biden announced he would step aside for the eventual Democratic nominee, Vice-President Kamala Harris.

The contest in November was ultimately won by Harris's opponent, Republican Donald Trump.

Clooney inserted himself into the presidential campaign via a New York Times opinion article in July 2024 headlined "I Love Joe Biden. But We Need a New Nominee".

The actor expressed support for the president's agenda but pointed to worries over his disastrous debate against Trump in which he stumbled over his words.

In the interview, the younger Biden blamed it on a gruelling travel schedule and taking the drug Ambien, also known as zolpidem, which is used to treat sleep problems.

"They give him Ambien to be able to sleep. He gets up on the stage and he looks like he's a deer in the headlights," he said.

In the New York Times article, Clooney said the meeting with Biden at the charity event showed he was "the same man we all witnessed in the debate".

He added: "We are not going to win in November with this president."

More details about the encounter at the fundraiser were revealed in a recent book by journalists Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson, who reported that the president "appeared severely diminished" and didn't recognise the actor.

During the interview released Monday, Hunter Biden's first lengthy comments since the election, the former president's son denied that account and said Clooney had "attempted to cut the knees out from a sitting president".

Asked why Clooney intervened in the race, Hunter Biden responded with a succession of profanities about the actor.

"What do you have to do with… anything," he said in a message directed at Clooney. "Why do I have to… listen to you?"

The younger Biden suggested that Clooney was motivated by disagreement over the former president's stance towards Israel.

Clooney's wife Amal was on a legal panel which recommended that the International Criminal Court issue an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the war in Gaza.

But President Biden rejected the idea, at one point calling the warrant "outrageous".

The BBC has attempted to contact the Hollywood actor for comment.

Hunter Biden also criticised reports by Tapper and others that he was heavily involved in White House meetings during his father's final months in office - even after being convicted of felony weapons charges.

"I think I spent 12 days in the White House in the last two years of the administration," Hunter Biden said.

Before leaving office, Joe Biden pardoned his son, who last year pleaded guilty to tax evasion in addition to being convicted on the weapons charges.

The younger Biden's business dealings, legal troubles and addiction to alcohol and drugs became an issue during the 2020 presidential campaign, when the contents of a laptop he owned were leaked to the New York Post.

Despite initial questions about its veracity, the leaked material was determined to be authentic, however the fallout did not prevent Joe Biden from defeating Donald Trump in that year's election.

Speaking to the BBC earlier this year in his first interview since leaving office, Joe Biden said he didn't regret ending his re-election campaign, but dismissed the idea that quitting earlier might have changed the outcome.

"I don't think it would have mattered," he said.

An announcement from Joe Biden in May this year that he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer revived questions about his health while serving in the White House.

Source: bbc.com

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Trump claims Obama ‘guilty of treason’

22 Jul, 2025

US President Donald Trump has accused Barack Obama of “treason,” promising to “go after” him and his administration’s top intelligence officials over their alleged plot to “rig elections” and stage the Russiagate hoax.

Trump made the remarks while speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Tuesday. The former US president should be targeted directly by the Department of Justice, Trump stated when asked about the report released by Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard last week that alleged Obama administration officials “manufactured intelligence” to falsely accuse Trump of colluding with Russia.

“This was treason. Barack Hussein Obama is the ringleader. Hillary Clinton was right there with him, and so was Sleepy Joe Biden, and so were the rest of them: [former FBI Director James] Comey, [former DNI Director James] Clapper, the whole group,” Trump stated.

“They tried to rig an election, and they got caught. And then they did rig the election in 2020. And then because I knew I won that election by a lot, I did it a third time, and I won in a landslide,” he added.

Gabbard’s report was “like proof, irrefutable proof, that Obama was seditious,” Trump said, accusing his predecessor of “trying to lead a coup.”

“This is the biggest scandal in the history of our country.”

The report, which includes over 100 declassified documents, suggests that Obama’s spy chiefs discarded all intelligence assessments that found no Russian involvement and replaced them with fabricated claims, paving the way for the Russiagate probe, described by Gabbard as a “years-long coup” against Trump.

Obama has strongly denied the allegations, reiterating his stance shortly after the latest Oval Office remarks by Trump. Gabbard’s report contains nothing that “undercuts the widely accepted conclusion that Russia worked to influence the 2016 presidential election but did not successfully manipulate any votes,” Obama’s office said in a statement.

“Out of respect for the office of the presidency, our office does not normally dignify the constant nonsense and misinformation flowing out of this White House with a response. But these claims are outrageous enough to merit one. These bizarre allegations are ridiculous and a weak attempt at distraction,” it claimed.

Source: rt.com

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https://www.rt.com/news/621834-trump-obama-guilty-treason/

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